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

Rating 2220 · Expert · crushing, master, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen g5; rook c1; bishops b5/e5; pawns a4/d4/e3/f3/g2/h4. Black: king g8; queen d5; rook f7; bishops b7/g7; knight a5; pawns a7/b6/e6/f5/h5. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Kf8 — king g8→f8. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: e4 — pawn e3→e4. Opponent replies Qxd4+ (queen d5→d4, captures pawn, gives check).
  3. Best move: Bxd4 — bishop e5→d4, captures queen.

Tactical themes

crushing, master, middlegame, short. The key move is e4.

Position data

FEN: 6k1/pb3rb1/1p2p3/nB1qBpQp/P2P3P/4PP2/6P1/2R3K1 b - - 0 32

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