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

Position

White: king d2; queen h8; rook g1; bishop h5; pawns a2/c2/c3/d4/f4/h2. Black: king f7; queen f6; rook a8; bishop g6; knight b8; pawns a7/b6/c7/d5/g7. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qxf4+ — queen f6→f4, captures pawn, gives check. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Kd1 — king d2→d1. Opponent replies Bxh5+ (bishop g6→h5, captures bishop, gives check).
3. Best move: Qxh5+ — queen h8→h5, captures bishop, gives check.

Why this works

After 21...Qxf4+, White's king steps to d1, calmly accepting the check. Black's natural recapture 22...Bxh5+ looks forcing, but White has calculated precisely: 23.Qxh5+ wins the bishop with check. The queen on h8 has a clear path to h5 along the h-file and can deliver check to the king on f7 simultaneously. Black cannot defend the bishop on h5 — the queen on f4 is too far away, and no other piece controls h5. White nets a full bishop because Black's attempt to trade pieces (bishop for White's bishop on h5) instead leaves Black down material after White recaptures with tempo.

What to practice

Recognize when accepting a check buys you a tempo for a winning recapture. Here, White's 22.Kd1 looks passive but forces Black into a trap: the 'natural' recapture 22...Bxh5 walks into 23.Qxh5+, where the check prevents Black from rescuing the bishop. Train yourself to calculate one move ahead when your opponent sacrifices — sometimes the apparent exchange works in your favor because the follow-up check or tempo wins material outright.

Tactical themes

advantage, defensive move, middlegame, short. The key move Qxh5+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: rn5Q/p1p2kp1/1p3qb1/3p3B/3P1P2/2P5/P1PK3P/6R1 b - - 3 22

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