Chess Puzzle #aaAlo — Expert, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 2260 · Expert · crushing, defensive move, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king h2; queen a6; rooks a1/f2; knight e5; pawns a4/b2/c3/f4/g2/h3. Black: king g8; queen f6; rook g7; bishops d6/e4; pawns a7/b6/d5/e6/f5/h6. White is ahead by 2 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: a5 — pawn a4→a5. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Qh4 — queen f6→h4. Opponent replies Qc8+ (queen a6→c8, gives check).
  3. Best move: Kh7 — king g8→h7.

Tactical themes

crushing, defensive move, middlegame, short. The key move is Qh4.

Position data

FEN: 6k1/p5r1/Qp1bpq1p/3pNp2/P3bP2/2P4P/1P3RPK/R7 w - - 1 32

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