Chess Puzzle #Fk3Ai — Expert, White to move, middlegame

Rating 2205 · Expert · equality, middlegame, quiet move, short.

Position

White: king e1; queen f4; rooks c1/h3; knights b3/f3; pawns a2/b4/d4/f2/g2. Black: king e8; queen a3; rooks c8/h8; bishop e7; knight c3; pawns a7/b7/d6/e6/f7/h6. Black is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qxb4 — queen a3→b4, captures pawn. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Nfd2 — knight f3→d2. Opponent replies Nd5 (knight c3→d5).
  3. Best move: Rxc8+ — rook c1→c8, captures rook, gives check.

Tactical themes

equality, middlegame, quiet move, short. The key move Rxc8+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 2r1k2r/pp2bp2/3pp2p/8/1P1P1Q2/qNn2N1R/P4PP1/2R1K3 b k - 1 21

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

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