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

Position

White: king e1; queen d5; rooks a1/h1; bishop c1; knight g1; pawns a2/b2/c2/d2/e5/g2/h2. Black: king f6; queen d8; rooks a8/h8; bishops c8/f8; knight d4; pawns a7/b7/c5/d7/f4/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Ke7 — king f6→e7. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qxc5+ — queen d5→c5, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Ke8 (king e7→e8).
3. Best move: Qxd4 — queen c5→d4, captures knight.

Tactical themes

equality, fork, opening, short. The key move Qxc5+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r1bq1b1r/pp1p2pp/5k2/2pQP3/3n1p2/8/PPPP2PP/R1B1K1NR b KQ - 0 10

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