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

Rating 2659 · Master · crushing, defensive move, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king h2; queen e6; rook h1; knight h4; pawns a4/b5/d5/f2/g3. Black: king h6; queen e2; rooks a8/f8; bishop e5; pawns a7/b7. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Kh7 — king h6→h7. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qg6+ — queen e6→g6, gives check. Opponent replies Kh8 (king h7→h8).
  3. Best move: Nf5 — knight h4→f5.

Tactical themes

crushing, defensive move, middlegame, short. The key move is Qg6+.

Position data

FEN: r4r2/pp6/4Q2k/1P1Pb3/P6N/6P1/4qP1K/7R b - - 5 34

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