Chess Puzzle #E22V5 — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1420 · Intermediate · advantage, deflection, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen b7; rooks a1/f1; bishop e3; pawns a3/b2/e5/g2/g3/h4. Black: king e8; queen a5; rooks c8/h8; knight c6; pawns a7/d5/e6/f7/g7/h5. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: O-O — king e8→g8. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Rxf7 — rook f1→f7, captures pawn. Opponent replies Rxf7 (rook f8→f7, captures rook).
  3. Best move: Qxc8+ — queen b7→c8, captures rook, gives check.

Tactical themes

advantage, deflection, middlegame, short. The key move Qxc8+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 2r1k2r/pQ3pp1/2n1p3/q2pP2p/7P/P3B1P1/1P4P1/R4RK1 b k - 0 22

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