Chess Puzzle #aiL7y — Expert, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 2336 · Expert · crushing, defensive move, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen d2; rooks a1/b1; bishop e3; knight a5; pawns a4/b2/d5/f2/g3/h4. Black: king g8; queen e7; rook f8; bishop h6; knights d3/h3; pawns c4/d6/f7/g4/h7. White is ahead by 3 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Kg2 — king g1→g2. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Qe4+ — queen e7→e4, gives check. Opponent replies Kh2 (king g2→h2).
  3. Best move: Ne5 — knight d3→e5.

Tactical themes

crushing, defensive move, middlegame, short. The key move is Qe4+.

Position data

FEN: 5rk1/4qp1p/3p3b/N2P4/P1p3pP/3nB1Pn/1P1Q1P2/RR4K1 w - - 1 29

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