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

Rating 2640 · Master · crushing, defensive move, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king a3; queen h4; rooks f1/h8; bishop e2; knight c3; pawns a2/b2/c4/d5. Black: king e7; queen d2; rooks a8/f6; bishop c8; knights d7/g7; pawns a5/b7/c7/d6/e5. Black is ahead by 4 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qd4 — queen d2→d4. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qg5 — queen h4→g5. Opponent replies Qc5+ (queen d4→c5, gives check).
  3. Best move: Kb3 — king a3→b3.

Tactical themes

crushing, defensive move, middlegame, short. The key move is Qg5.

Position data

FEN: r1b4R/1ppnk1n1/3p1r2/p2Pp3/2P4Q/K1N5/PP1qB3/5R2 b - - 19 34

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