Chess Puzzle #SpNxc — Expert, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 2244 · Expert · advantage, fork, middlegame, very long.

Position

White: king g1; queen e3; rook d1; bishop b6; knights c3/f3; pawns a5/b2/c2/e4/f2/h3. Black: king g8; queen e6; rook a8; bishop g7; knight f4; pawns a6/b7/c6/e5/f7/g6/h6. White is ahead by 2 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (4 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: h4 — pawn h3→h4. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Qg4+ — queen e6→g4, gives check. Opponent replies Kf1 (king g1→f1).
  3. Best move: Qh3+ — queen g4→h3, gives check. Opponent replies Ke1 (king f1→e1).
  4. Best move: Ng2+ — knight f4→g2, gives check. Opponent replies Kd2 (king e1→d2).
  5. Best move: Nxe3 — knight g2→e3, captures queen.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, middlegame, very long. The key move is Qg4+.

Position data

FEN: r5k1/1p3pb1/pBp1q1pp/P3p3/4Pn2/2N1QN1P/1PP2P2/3R2K1 w - - 1 23

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

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