Chess Puzzle #Kir63 — Advanced, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king g1; queen g6; rook d1; knight f6; pawns a2/b3/c4/g3/h2. Black: king c6; queen e5; rook f8; bishop e6; pawns a6/b5/c5. White is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Rxf6 — rook f8→f6, captures knight. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qe8+ — queen g6→e8, gives check. Opponent replies Kb6 (king c6→b6).
3. Best move: Qd8+ — queen e8→d8, gives check.

Tactical themes

endgame, equality, short. The key move is Qe8+.

Position data

FEN: 5r2/8/p1k1bNQ1/1pp1q3/2P5/1P4P1/P6P/3R2K1 b - - 0 30

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