Chess Puzzle #HyN8M — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king g1; queen c3; rook a7; bishop d5; pawns e4/f2/g3/h2. Black: king h8; queen f8; rook g5; bishops e7/h3; pawns a6/e5/f6/h7. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qd8 — queen f8→d8. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Ra8 — rook a7→a8. Opponent replies Qxa8 (queen d8→a8, captures rook).
3. Best move: Bxa8 — bishop d5→a8, captures queen.

Tactical themes

advantage, middlegame, pin, short. The key move is Ra8.

Position data

FEN: 5q1k/R3b2p/p4p2/3Bp1r1/4P3/2Q3Pb/5P1P/6K1 b - - 3 35

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