Chess Puzzle #L4T8M — Advanced, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1931 · Advanced · crushing, fork, long, middlegame, skewer.

Position

White: king h2; queen b7; rook d2; bishop g2; pawns a2/g3/h3. Black: king e5; queen f6; rook h8; bishop c5; knight d4; pawns a7/e6/f7/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 5 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Rd8 — rook h8→d8. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qc7+ — queen b7→c7, gives check. Opponent replies Kf5 (king e5→f5).
  3. Best move: Rf2+ — rook d2→f2, gives check. Opponent replies Kg6 (king f5→g6).
  4. Best move: Rxf6+ — rook f2→f6, captures queen, gives check.

Tactical themes

crushing, fork, long, middlegame, skewer. The key move Rxf6+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 7r/pQ3ppp/4pq2/2b1k3/3n4/6PP/P2R2BK/8 b - - 2 26

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