Chess Puzzle #i2bKb — Expert, White to move, middlegame

Rating 2278 · Expert · mate, mate in 2, middlegame, sacrifice, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen d1; rooks g3/h3; knight b1; pawns c3/e5/f4/g2/h2. Black: king g8; queen e7; rooks a8/f8; bishop c8; knight c6; pawns a7/b7/d5/f5/f7/g6/h5. Black is ahead by 5 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Kh7 — king g8→h7. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qxh5+ — queen d1→h5, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies gxh5 (pawn g6→h5, captures queen).
  3. Best move: Rxh5# — rook h3→h5, captures pawn, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

mate, mate in 2, middlegame, sacrifice, short. The combination ends with Rxh5# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: r1b2rk1/pp2qp2/2n3p1/3pPp1p/5P2/2P3RR/6PP/1N1Q2K1 b - - 1 18

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