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

Rating 2065 · Expert · equality, fork, long, middlegame, sacrifice.

Position

White: king g1; queen g5; rooks c3/f1; knight a3; pawns a2/b4/f2/g2/h2. Black: king a8; queen a6; rook h8; bishop d7; knight g6; pawns a7/b7/f6/g7/h7. White is ahead by 2 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qd5 — queen g5→d5. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Nf4 — knight g6→f4. Opponent replies Qxd7 (queen d5→d7, captures bishop).
  3. Best move: Ne2+ — knight f4→e2, gives check. Opponent replies Kh1 (king g1→h1).
  4. Best move: Nxc3 — knight e2→c3, captures rook.

Tactical themes

equality, fork, long, middlegame, sacrifice. The key move is Nf4.

Position data

FEN: k6r/pp1b2pp/q4pn1/6Q1/1P6/N1R5/P4PPP/5RK1 w - - 0 25

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