Chess Puzzle #KT59G — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1428 · Intermediate · equality, fork, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen g4; rooks a1/f1; knight g6; pawns a2/b2/c2/f2/g2/h2. Black: king g8; queen d8; rooks a8/e8; bishop c5; pawns a7/b7/f6/f7/h7. White is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: fxg6 — pawn f7→g6, captures knight. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qc4+ — queen g4→c4, gives check. Opponent replies Kg7 (king g8→g7).
  3. Best move: Qxc5 — queen c4→c5, captures bishop.

Tactical themes

equality, fork, middlegame, short. The key move is Qc4+.

Position data

FEN: r2qr1k1/pp3p1p/5pN1/2b5/6Q1/8/PPP2PPP/R4RK1 b - - 0 17

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