Chess Puzzle #Arhja — Advanced, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king g1; queen d2; rook b4; bishop c2; knight d4; pawns a3/e4/f3/g2/h2. Black: king f7; queen c5; rooks c8/d8; bishop b5; pawns a6/g6/h7. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qxc2 — queen c5→c2, captures bishop. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qf4+ — queen d2→f4, gives check. Opponent replies Kg8 (king f7→g8).
3. Best move: Nxc2 — knight d4→c2, captures queen.

Tactical themes

advantage, intermezzo, middlegame, short. The key move is Qf4+.

Position data

FEN: 2rr4/5k1p/p5p1/1bq5/1R1NP3/P4P2/2BQ2PP/6K1 b - - 0 29

Solve this puzzle interactively on Brilliant Knight — free tactics training powered by Stockfish 18, no signup required.