Chess Puzzle #C9TZ7 — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1522 · Intermediate · advantage, discovered attack, endgame, long.

Position

White: king h2; queen f4; rook d1; knight f5; pawns a2/b2/c4/g2/h4. Black: king g8; queen g7; rooks d8/e2; pawns a7/b7/f7/g6. Black is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qf6 — queen g7→f6. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Nh6+ — knight f5→h6, gives check. Opponent replies Kg7 (king g8→g7).
  3. Best move: Qxf6+ — queen f4→f6, captures queen, gives check. Opponent replies Kxf6 (king g7→f6, captures queen).
  4. Best move: Rxd8 — rook d1→d8, captures rook.

Tactical themes

advantage, discovered attack, endgame, long. The key move Qxf6+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 3r2k1/pp3pq1/6p1/5N2/2P2Q1P/8/PP2r1PK/3R4 b - - 0 34

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Puzzle data from the Lichess puzzle database (CC0). Analysis powered by Stockfish 18 in your browser.