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

Rating 1415 · Intermediate · advantage, long, middlegame, sacrifice, skewer.

Position

White: king f2; queen h7; rook h5; bishop a2; pawns a3/d3/e5/g2/h3. Black: king f8; queen d8; bishops e6/g7; knight d5; pawns a5/c5/d4/f7. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qb8 — queen d8→b8. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qh8+ — queen h7→h8, gives check. Opponent replies Bxh8 (bishop g7→h8, captures queen).
  3. Best move: Rxh8+ — rook h5→h8, captures bishop, gives check. Opponent replies Kg7 (king f8→g7).
  4. Best move: Rxb8 — rook h8→b8, captures queen.

Tactical themes

advantage, long, middlegame, sacrifice, skewer. The key move Rxh8+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 3q1k2/5pbQ/4b3/p1pnP2R/3p4/P2P3P/B4KP1/8 b - - 0 32

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