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

Position

White: king g1; queen g3; rooks d1/d7; bishop g5; pawns a2/c2/e4/g2/h2. Black: king e8; queen b2; rooks c8/h8; bishop c3; knight g8; pawns e6/f7/g6/h7. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Nf6 — knight g8→f6. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qd6 — queen g3→d6. Opponent replies Qb6+ (queen b2→b6, gives check).
3. Best move: Qxb6 — queen d6→b6, captures queen.

Tactical themes

crushing, middlegame, short. The key move is Qd6.

Position data

FEN: 2r1k1nr/3R1p1p/4p1p1/6B1/4P3/2b3Q1/PqP3PP/3R2K1 b k - 1 27

Solve this puzzle interactively on Brilliant Knight — free tactics training powered by Stockfish 18, no signup required.