Chess Puzzle #JcL1G — Expert, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king g1; queen b5; rooks a1/d1; bishops c1/g2; knight g5; pawns a2/b2/f2/g3/h2. Black: king e8; queen g4; rooks c7/h8; bishops b7/f8; knight e5; pawns a7/b6/c5/e6/f7/g6/h7. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Bc6 — bishop b7→c6. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Bxc6+ — bishop g2→c6, captures bishop, gives check. Opponent replies Nxc6 (knight e5→c6, captures bishop).
3. Best move: Bf4 — bishop c1→f4. Opponent replies Qxf4 (queen g4→f4, captures bishop).
4. Best move: gxf4 — pawn g3→f4, captures queen.

Tactical themes

advantage, long, master, middlegame. The key move Bxc6+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 4kb1r/pbr2p1p/1p2p1p1/1Qp1n1N1/6q1/6P1/PP3PBP/R1BR2K1 b k - 3 18

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