Chess Puzzle #De01q — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1454 · Intermediate · crushing, defensive move, endgame, long, trapped piece.

Position

White: king h2; queen f7; bishop e6; pawns b6/e4/g3/h4. Black: king h6; queen d8; knight g8; pawns b7/e5/g6/h5. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qd2+ — queen d8→d2, gives check. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Kh3 — king h2→h3. Opponent replies Qd8 (queen d2→d8).
  3. Best move: Qxg8 — queen f7→g8, captures knight. Opponent replies Qxg8 (queen d8→g8, captures queen).
  4. Best move: Bxg8 — bishop e6→g8, captures queen.

Tactical themes

crushing, defensive move, endgame, long, trapped piece. The key move is Kh3.

Position data

FEN: 3q2n1/1p3Q2/1P2B1pk/4p2p/4P2P/6P1/7K/8 b - - 2 44

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