Chess Puzzle #fP71I — Advanced, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1976 · Advanced · crushing, hanging piece, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen g4; rook d1; bishop g6; knight f5; pawns a4/b5/e5/f2/g2/h5. Black: king g7; queen b6; rook c4; bishop d7; knights c3/g5; pawns a5/b7/e6/f3/h6. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: exf5 — pawn e6→f5, captures knight. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Rxd7+ — rook d1→d7, captures bishop, gives check. Opponent replies Kh8 (king g7→h8).
  3. Best move: Qxc4 — queen g4→c4, captures rook.

Tactical themes

crushing, hanging piece, middlegame, short. The key move Rxd7+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 8/1p1b2k1/1q2p1Bp/pP2PNnP/P1r3Q1/2n2p2/5PP1/3R2K1 b - - 9 35

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.