Chess Puzzle #eH7Co — Expert, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 2253 · Expert · crushing, defensive move, endgame, long.

Position

White: king h3; queen b2; rook c3; bishop d4; pawns b4/e5/f4/g3/h2. Black: king h7; queen b7; rook c8; bishop e7; pawns b5/e6/f7/g5/h6. Material is balanced. Black to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Rxc8 — rook c3→c8, captures rook. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Qf3 — queen b7→f3. Opponent replies Qc2+ (queen b2→c2, gives check).
  3. Best move: Kg7 — king h7→g7. Opponent replies fxg5 (pawn f4→g5, captures pawn).
  4. Best move: hxg5 — pawn h6→g5, captures pawn.

Tactical themes

crushing, defensive move, endgame, long. The key move is Qf3.

Position data

FEN: 2r5/1q2bp1k/4p2p/1p2P1p1/1P1B1P2/2R3PK/1Q5P/8 w - - 4 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.