Chess Puzzle #P3IQB — Expert, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king c1; queen b7; rook h1; pawns a6/c5/d3/f4/h6. Black: king f7; queen e6; rook e2; bishop f5; pawns b5/g6/h7. Black is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qd7 — queen e6→d7. Now White to move.
2. Best move: c6 — pawn c5→c6. Opponent replies Qe7 (queen d7→e7).
3. Best move: a7 — pawn a6→a7. Opponent replies Ra2 (rook e2→a2).
4. Best move: Re1 — rook h1→e1.

Tactical themes

advanced pawn, crushing, endgame, long, pin. The key move is c6.

Position data

FEN: 8/1Q3k1p/P3q1pP/1pP2b2/5P2/3P4/4r3/2K4R b - - 2 34

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