Chess Puzzle #I9l9n — Advanced, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king f1; queen b6; rook b1; bishop d6; pawns d4/e3/f3/g2/h2. Black: king g8; queen f7; rook c8; bishop f6; pawns a6/b7/e6/f5/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Rc6 — rook c8→c6. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qxc6 — queen b6→c6, captures rook. Opponent replies bxc6 (pawn b7→c6, captures queen).
3. Best move: Rb8+ — rook b1→b8, gives check. Opponent replies Qe8 (queen f7→e8).
4. Best move: Rxe8+ — rook b8→e8, captures queen, gives check.

Tactical themes

clearance, crushing, endgame, long, sacrifice. The key move Rxe8+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 2r3k1/1p3qpp/pQ1Bpb2/5p2/3P4/4PP2/6PP/1R3K2 b - - 4 27

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