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

Rating 1498 · Intermediate · mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king h1; queen d8; rook e8; bishop d3; pawns a2/b2/c2/f4/g2/h2. Black: king g7; queen c6; rook a8; bishops c8/d4; pawns a7/c7/f5/f7/h7. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Bb7 — bishop c8→b7. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Rg8+ — rook e8→g8, gives check. Opponent replies Kh6 (king g7→h6).
  3. Best move: Qg5# — queen d8→g5, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short. The combination ends with Qg5# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: r1bQR3/p1p2pkp/2q5/5p2/3b1P2/3B4/PPP3PP/7K b - - 3 21

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