Chess Puzzle #RRgN0 — Master, White to move, middlegame

Rating 2406 · Master · attraction, deflection, exposed king, fork, intermezzo, long.

Position

White: king h1; queen h4; rooks g1/h2; knight g5; pawns a2/b3/c2/d4. Black: king h8; queen f6; rooks e3/e8; bishop f5; pawns a6/b5/c6/d5/f7/h6. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: R8e4 — rook e8→e4. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qxh6+ — queen h4→h6, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Qxh6 (queen f6→h6, captures queen).
  3. Best move: Nxf7+ — knight g5→f7, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Kh7 (king h8→h7).
  4. Best move: Rxh6# — rook h2→h6, captures queen, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

attraction, deflection, exposed king, fork, intermezzo, long, mate, mate in 3, middlegame, pin, sacrifice. The combination ends with Rxh6# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 4r2k/5p2/p1p2q1p/1p1p1bN1/3P3Q/1P2r3/P1P4R/6RK b - - 1 32

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