Chess Puzzle #DmN8s — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1444 · Intermediate · advantage, fork, hanging piece, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king f1; queen h5; rooks a1/h1; knights a3/d4; pawns a2/b2/f2/f5/h3. Black: king f7; queen c5; rooks a8/e8; bishop c8; knights b4/e5; pawns a6/b7/c7/d3/d5/g7/h6. Black is ahead by 5 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Kg8 — king f7→g8. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qxe8+ — queen h5→e8, captures rook, gives check. Opponent replies Qf8 (queen c5→f8).
  3. Best move: Qxe5 — queen e8→e5, captures knight.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, hanging piece, middlegame, short. The key move Qxe8+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r1b1r3/1pp2kp1/p6p/2qpnP1Q/1n1N4/N2p3P/PP3P2/R4K1R b - - 1 19

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