Chess Puzzle #DKuE7 — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1524 · Intermediate · clearance, crushing, exposed king, long, middlegame, pin.

Position

White: king h2; queen e2; rook g5; bishops b2/c2; pawns a2/c3/d3/f2/h4. Black: king g8; queen d6; rooks b8/e8; bishop b7; knight d5; pawns a7/c7/e5/f5. Black is ahead by 4 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Kh7 — king g8→h7. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qh5+ — queen e2→h5, gives check. Opponent replies Qh6 (queen d6→h6).
  3. Best move: Qf7+ — queen h5→f7, gives check. Opponent replies Kh8 (king h7→h8).
  4. Best move: Rh5 — rook g5→h5.

Tactical themes

clearance, crushing, exposed king, long, middlegame, pin. The key move is Qh5+.

Position data

FEN: 1r2r1k1/pbp5/3q4/3nppR1/7P/2PP4/PBB1QP1K/8 b - - 0 27

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

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