Chess Puzzle #J9wxm — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1404 · Intermediate · mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king c1; queen h7; rooks d2/g3; bishop d4; pawns b2/b3/c2/e4/f4/g5/h2. Black: king g8; queen c7; rooks c8/e8; bishops b7/e7; knight e6; pawns a6/b4/d5/d6/f7. Black is ahead by 4 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Kxh7 — king g8→h7, captures queen. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Rh3+ — rook g3→h3, gives check. Opponent replies Kg6 (king h7→g6).
  3. Best move: Rh6# — rook h3→h6, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short. The combination ends with Rh6# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 2r1r1k1/1bq1bp1Q/p2pn3/3p2P1/1p1BPP2/1P4R1/1PPR3P/2K5 b - - 0 24

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

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