Chess Puzzle #az585 — Advanced, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 1823 · Advanced · defensive move, endgame, equality, long, master, skewer.

Position

White: king e1; queen f5; rook h1; knight g4; pawns a2/b3/c2/d2/e3/f2/g2/h5. Black: king g8; queen g7; rook a8; bishop c6; pawns a6/b4/c7/d6/f7. White is ahead by 3 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: h6 — pawn h5→h6. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Qa1+ — queen g7→a1, gives check. Opponent replies Ke2 (king e1→e2).
  3. Best move: Qxh1 — queen a1→h1, captures rook. Opponent replies Qg5+ (queen f5→g5, gives check).
  4. Best move: Kf8 — king g8→f8.

Tactical themes

defensive move, endgame, equality, long, master, skewer. The key move is Qa1+.

Position data

FEN: r5k1/2p2pq1/p1bp4/5Q1P/1p4N1/1P2P3/P1PP1PP1/4K2R w K - 1 23

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