Chess Puzzle #d4kDi — Master, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 2604 · Master · crushing, endgame, fork, quiet move, sacrifice, very long.

Position

White: king h2; queen f8; rook c1; pawns f4/g3/h4. Black: king h5; queen d4; knight c4; pawns b7/f5/g4/g6. White is ahead by 1 point of material. Black to move.

Solution (5 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Rg1 — rook c1→g1. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Nd2 — knight c4→d2. Opponent replies Kh1 (king h2→h1).
  3. Best move: Nf3 — knight d2→f3. Opponent replies Rb1 (rook g1→b1).
  4. Best move: Nxh4 — knight f3→h4, captures pawn. Opponent replies gxh4 (pawn g3→h4, captures knight).
  5. Best move: Qe4+ — queen d4→e4, gives check. Opponent replies Kh2 (king h1→h2).
  6. Best move: Qxf4+ — queen e4→f4, captures pawn, gives check.

Tactical themes

crushing, endgame, fork, quiet move, sacrifice, very long. The key move Qxf4+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 5Q2/1p6/6p1/5p1k/2nq1PpP/6P1/7K/2R5 w - - 2 41

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