Chess Puzzle #aYAHa — Expert, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king g1; rooks e1/e2; knight a3; pawns a2/b2/c3/e7/g3. Black: king g8; queen c6; rook f5; bishop h3; pawns a7/b7/c5/g6/h7. Black is ahead by 4 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qe8 — queen c6→e8. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Nb5 — knight a3→b5. Opponent replies Qxb5 (queen e8→b5, captures knight).
3. Best move: e8=Q+ — pawn e7→e8, promotes to queen, gives check. Opponent replies Qxe8 (queen b5→e8, captures queen).
4. Best move: Rxe8+ — rook e2→e8, captures queen, gives check.

Tactical themes

advanced pawn, advantage, endgame, long, promotion. The key move Rxe8+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 6k1/pp2P2p/2q3p1/2p2r2/8/N1P3Pb/PP2R3/4R1K1 b - - 0 33

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