Chess Puzzle #KNeXk — Master, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king g1; queen g3; rook e7; knight g5; pawns d5/f4/g2/h2. Black: king g8; queen a2; rook f8; knight b6; pawns a6/b7/c7/f5/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qxd5 — queen a2→d5, captures pawn. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qc3 — queen g3→c3. Opponent replies Rf6 (rook f8→f6).
3. Best move: Re8+ — rook e7→e8, gives check.

Tactical themes

crushing, endgame, short. The key move is Qc3.

Position data

FEN: 5rk1/1pp1R1pp/pn6/3P1pN1/5P2/6Q1/q5PP/6K1 b - - 0 24

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