Chess Puzzle #Y4t4x — Master, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king h1; queen g5; rooks a1/f3; bishop g3; pawns a2/b2/c2/e4/h2. Black: king f8; queen h3; rook a8; bishop d7; knight f6; pawns b6/c5/c7/d6/f7/g7. White is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Nxe4 — knight f6→e4, captures pawn. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qd5 — queen g5→d5. Opponent replies Qe6 (queen h3→e6).
3. Best move: Qxa8+ — queen d5→a8, captures rook, gives check.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, middlegame, short. The key move Qxa8+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r4k2/2pb1pp1/1p1p1n2/2p3Q1/4P3/5RBq/PPP4P/R6K b - - 0 26

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