Chess Puzzle #VOzdh — Advanced, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king h1; queen h5; rooks a1/f1; bishop g5; knight c3; pawns a2/b2/c2/g2/h2. Black: king g7; queen d4; rooks a8/h8; bishops e6/f8; knights b8/g8; pawns a7/b7/c7/d6/h7. Black is ahead by 6 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Nd7 — knight b8→d7. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Bh6+ — bishop g5→h6, gives check. Opponent replies Nxh6 (knight g8→h6, captures bishop).
3. Best move: Qg5# — queen h5→g5, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

clearance, mate, mate in 2, middlegame, sacrifice, short. The combination ends with Qg5# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: rn3bnr/ppp3kp/3pb3/6BQ/3q4/2N5/PPP3PP/R4R1K b - - 3 14

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