Chess Puzzle #cQ53C — Master, White to move, middlegame

Rating 2556 · Master · advantage, defensive move, endgame, short.

Position

White: king e2; queen b8; bishop c3; knight d2; pawns c7/d4/e5/f2/h3. Black: king f7; queen a4; bishop e7; knight g2; pawns d5/e6/f6/g7/h6. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Nf4+ — knight g2→f4, gives check. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Ke3 — king e2→e3. Opponent replies Qc2 (queen a4→c2).
  3. Best move: Kxf4 — king e3→f4, captures knight.

Tactical themes

advantage, defensive move, endgame, short. The key move is Ke3.

Position data

FEN: 1Q6/2P1bkp1/4pp1p/3pP3/q2P4/2B4P/3NKPn1/8 b - - 5 36

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.