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

Rating 1480 · Intermediate · mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king c1; queen d2; rooks d1/h1; bishops b4/f1; knight g1; pawns a2/b3/c2/f4/g2/h2. Black: king f8; queen e4; rooks d8/h8; bishop f5; knights c6/g8; pawns a7/b7/c7/f7/g7/h7. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Nge7 — knight g8→e7. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qxd8+ — queen d2→d8, captures rook, gives check. Opponent replies Nxd8 (knight c6→d8, captures queen).
  3. Best move: Rxd8# — rook d1→d8, captures knight, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short. The combination ends with Rxd8# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 3r1knr/ppp2ppp/2n5/5b2/1B2qP2/1P6/P1PQ2PP/2KR1BNR b - - 1 12

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