Chess Puzzle #D69d1 — Expert, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king e1; queen f3; rook a1; bishops d2/d7; pawns a2/b3/e5/f4/g2/h3. Black: king e8; queen h2; rooks a8/h8; bishop g7; knight g3; pawns a7/b7/e7/f7/g6/h7. Black is ahead by 5 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Kxd7 — king e8→d7, captures bishop. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qxb7+ — queen f3→b7, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Ke6 (king d7→e6).
3. Best move: Qc6+ — queen b7→c6, gives check. Opponent replies Kf5 (king e6→f5).
4. Best move: Qd7+ — queen c6→d7, gives check.

Tactical themes

crushing, long, middlegame. The key move Qxb7+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r3k2r/pp1Bppbp/6p1/4P3/5P2/1P3QnP/P2B2Pq/R3K3 b Qkq - 0 19

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