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

Rating 1816 · Advanced · deflection, equality, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king c1; queen b7; rooks d1/h1; bishop f4; knight g1; pawns a3/b2/c2/f2/g2/h3. Black: king g8; queen d8; rooks a8/e8; bishops c5/d5; knight c6; pawns a7/c7/e4/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Re7 — rook e8→e7. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Rxd5 — rook d1→d5, captures bishop. Opponent replies Qxd5 (queen d8→d5, captures rook).
  3. Best move: Qxa8+ — queen b7→a8, captures rook, gives check.

Tactical themes

deflection, equality, middlegame, short. The key move Qxa8+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r2qr1k1/pQp3pp/2n5/2bb4/4pB2/P6P/1PP2PP1/2KR2NR b - - 2 16

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.