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

Rating 2231 · Expert · attraction, crushing, kingside attack, middlegame, sacrifice, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen h3; rooks e1/h7; knight g5; pawns a2/b2/f2/g2/h2. Black: king g8; queen a6; rooks a8/d7; bishop g7; pawns a7/b7/e6/f7/g6. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qe2 — queen a6→e2. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Rxg7+ — rook h7→g7, captures bishop, gives check. Opponent replies Kxg7 (king g8→g7, captures rook).
  3. Best move: Qc3+ — queen h3→c3, gives check.

Tactical themes

attraction, crushing, kingside attack, middlegame, sacrifice, short. The key move Rxg7+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r5k1/pp1r1pbR/q3p1p1/6N1/8/7Q/PP3PPP/4R1K1 b - - 5 23

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