Chess Puzzle #FAqpw — Advanced, White to move, opening

Rating 1652 · Advanced · advantage, fork, long, middlegame, sacrifice.

Position

White: king g1; queen d1; rooks a1/e1; bishops c4/e3; knights d5/f3; pawns a3/b5/c5/f2/g2/h3. Black: king h8; queen d8; rooks a8/e8; bishops f8/h5; knights c6/e4; pawns a7/b7/c7/f5/g7/h6. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Ne5 — knight c6→e5. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Nxe5 — knight f3→e5, captures knight. Opponent replies Bxd1 (bishop h5→d1, captures queen).
  3. Best move: Nf7+ — knight e5→f7, gives check. Opponent replies Kh7 (king h8→h7).
  4. Best move: Nxd8 — knight f7→d8, captures queen.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, long, middlegame, sacrifice. The key move Nxe5 wins material.

Position data

FEN: r2qrb1k/ppp3p1/2n4p/1PPN1p1b/2B1n3/P3BN1P/5PP1/R2QR1K1 b - - 0 21

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