Chess Puzzle #YXBOU — Advanced, Black to move, middlegame

Position

White: king e1; rooks a1/e2; bishops b6/e4; knight e7; pawns a2/b3/c2/g5/h4. Black: king h8; queen h2; rooks a8/f8; bishops b2/b5; pawns a6/b7/e6/g7. Black is ahead by 5 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Rxh2 — rook e2→h2, captures queen. Now Black to move.
2. Best move: Bc3+ — bishop b2→c3, gives check. Opponent replies Rd2 (rook h2→d2).
3. Best move: Rf1# — rook f8→f1, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

fork, mate, mate in 2, middlegame, pin, short. The combination ends with Rf1# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: r4r1k/1p2N1p1/pB2p3/1b4P1/4B2P/1P6/PbP1R2q/R3K3 w Q - 2 28

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