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

Rating 2751 · Master · crushing, exposed king, long, middlegame, pin.

Position

White: king g1; queen f3; rooks e1/f1; pawns a2/b2/c2/g2/h2. Black: king e7; queen g7; rooks a8/h8; bishop c8; knight f6; pawns a7/b7/c7/h7. Black is ahead by 5 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Kf7 — king e7→f7. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qh5+ — queen f3→h5, gives check. Opponent replies Qg6 (queen g7→g6).
  3. Best move: Qd5+ — queen h5→d5, gives check. Opponent replies Be6 (bishop c8→e6).
  4. Best move: Rxe6 — rook e1→e6, captures bishop.

Tactical themes

crushing, exposed king, long, middlegame, pin. The key move is Qh5+.

Position data

FEN: r1b4r/ppp1k1qp/5n2/8/8/5Q2/PPP3PP/4RRK1 b - - 1 17

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