Chess Puzzle #L9jdG — Expert, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king f1; queen d6; rook h1; knight c7; pawns c4/e3/f2/g4/h3. Black: king g8; queen a5; rook a8; bishops a1/c8; knight b8; pawns a2/b7/e6/g6/h7. Black is ahead by 6 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: b5 — pawn b7→b5. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qd8+ — queen d6→d8, gives check. Opponent replies Kf7 (king g8→f7).
3. Best move: Qe8+ — queen d8→e8, gives check.

Tactical themes

equality, fork, middlegame, short. The key move is Qd8+.

Position data

FEN: rnb3k1/1pN4p/3Qp1p1/q7/2P3P1/4P2P/p4P2/b4K1R b - - 1 20

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