Chess Puzzle #IHq9m — Advanced, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king g1; queen d2; rook e1; knight e5; pawns c5/d5/f2/f4/g2/h2. Black: king g8; queen d7; rook b8; bishops c8/f6; pawns c7/g7/h7. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qf5 — queen d7→f5. Now White to move.
2. Best move: g4 — pawn g2→g4. Opponent replies Qxg4+ (queen f5→g4, captures pawn, gives check).
3. Best move: Nxg4 — knight e5→g4, captures queen.

Tactical themes

crushing, middlegame, short, trapped piece. The key move is g4.

Position data

FEN: 1rb3k1/2pq2pp/5b2/2PPN3/5P2/8/3Q1PPP/4R1K1 b - - 1 26

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