Chess Puzzle #J27Ow — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1492 · Intermediate · advantage, attraction, endgame, fork, long, sacrifice.

Position

White: king g3; queen e3; rook c1; knight c5; pawns a3/b2/g4/h3. Black: king g7; queen d5; rook d7; knight d4; pawns a6/b5/e4/g6/h7. Black is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Rf7 — rook d7→f7. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qxd4+ — queen e3→d4, captures knight, gives check. Opponent replies Qxd4 (queen d5→d4, captures queen).
  3. Best move: Ne6+ — knight c5→e6, gives check. Opponent replies Kf6 (king g7→f6).
  4. Best move: Nxd4 — knight e6→d4, captures queen.

Tactical themes

advantage, attraction, endgame, fork, long, sacrifice. The key move Qxd4+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 8/3r2kp/p5p1/1pNq4/3np1P1/P3Q1KP/1P6/2R5 b - - 1 37

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