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

Position

White: king e1; queen g6; rooks b7/h1; bishop d2; pawns a2/c3/f4/g2/h2. Black: king e7; queen a5; rook f7; bishops c5/d7; knight c6; pawns a6/d5/e6/g7. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qxa2 — queen a5→a2, captures pawn. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Rxd7+ — rook b7→d7, captures bishop, gives check. Opponent replies Kxd7 (king e7→d7, captures rook).
3. Best move: Qxf7+ — queen g6→f7, captures rook, gives check.

Tactical themes

attraction, deflection, equality, middlegame, short. The key move Rxd7+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 8/1R1bkrp1/p1n1p1Q1/q1bp4/5P2/2P5/P2B2PP/4K2R b K - 3 24

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