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

Rating 1599 · Intermediate · mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king c1; queen a3; rooks d1/h1; bishop f4; pawns a2/b2/c2/d4/f2/g2/h2. Black: king c7; queen g6; rooks d8/h8; bishop b7; knight e7; pawns a6/c6/d6/d7/f6/h7. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Nd5 — knight e7→d5. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qxd6+ — queen a3→d6, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Kb6 (king c7→b6).
  3. Best move: Qc5# — queen d6→c5, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short. The combination ends with Qc5# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 3r3r/1bkpn2p/p1pp1pq1/8/3P1B2/Q7/PPP2PPP/2KR3R b - - 3 16

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