Chess Puzzle #a4cCH — Master, White to move, middlegame

Rating 2435 · Master · crushing, defensive move, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen h4; rook c1; knight g4; pawns a2/b2/f2/g2/h2. Black: king g8; queen d6; rook a8; bishop c8; knight a5; pawns a7/b7/d7/f7/g6/h7. Black is ahead by 4 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: h5 — pawn h7→h5. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Nf6+ — knight g4→f6, gives check. Opponent replies Kf8 (king g8→f8).
  3. Best move: Re1 — rook c1→e1.

Tactical themes

crushing, defensive move, middlegame, short. The key move is Nf6+.

Position data

FEN: r1b3k1/pp1p1p1p/3q2p1/n7/6NQ/8/PP3PPP/2R3K1 b - - 0 20

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