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

Position

White: king g1; queen g5; rook a1; bishop d3; knight e5; pawns b3/d4/e3/f2/g6. Black: king g7; queen c7; rook g8; bishop a8; knights c3/c6; pawns b4/e6/f5/g4. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (4 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qe7 — queen c7→e7. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qh5 — queen g5→h5. Opponent replies Rh8 (rook g8→h8).
3. Best move: Qxh8+ — queen h5→h8, captures rook, gives check. Opponent replies Kxh8 (king g7→h8, captures queen).
4. Best move: Rxa8+ — rook a1→a8, captures bishop, gives check. Opponent replies Kg7 (king h8→g7).
5. Best move: Nxc6 — knight e5→c6, captures knight.

Tactical themes

attraction, equality, exposed king, middlegame, very long. The key move Qxh8+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: b5r1/2q3k1/2n1p1P1/4NpQ1/1p1P2p1/1PnBP3/5P2/R5K1 b - - 1 28

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