Chess Puzzle #T0QEJ — Expert, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king g1; rooks f1/g7; pawns a2/b2/c3/d3/f6. Black: king b8; queen f7; knight h6; pawns a7/b7/c7/d6/e5. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qe6 — queen f7→e6. Now White to move.
2. Best move: f7 — pawn f6→f7. Opponent replies Nxf7 (knight h6→f7, captures pawn).
3. Best move: Rg8+ — rook g7→g8, gives check. Opponent replies Qc8 (queen e6→c8).
4. Best move: Rxc8+ — rook g8→c8, captures queen, gives check.

Tactical themes

advanced pawn, crushing, endgame, long. The key move Rxc8+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 1k6/ppp2qR1/3p1P1n/4p3/8/2PP4/PP6/5RK1 b - - 3 34

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