Chess Puzzle #cC4Ty — Expert, White to move, middlegame

Rating 2191 · Expert · crushing, defensive move, endgame, long.

Position

White: king g1; queen d2; rooks e2/h3; pawns a3/b2/c3/e5/f4/h2/h6. Black: king h7; queen a2; rooks b3/b8; pawns a6/c4/d5/e6/f7/g7. White is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: gxh6 — pawn g7→h6, captures pawn. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: f5 — pawn f4→f5. Opponent replies Qb1+ (queen a2→b1, gives check).
  3. Best move: Re1 — rook e2→e1. Opponent replies Rg8+ (rook b8→g8, gives check).
  4. Best move: Kh1 — king g1→h1.

Tactical themes

crushing, defensive move, endgame, long. The key move is f5.

Position data

FEN: 1r6/5ppk/p3p2P/3pP3/2p2P2/PrP4R/qP1QR2P/6K1 b - - 0 29

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

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