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

Rating 2282 · Expert · clearance, defensive move, endgame, equality, very long.

Position

White: king h2; queen d3; rook d4; knight h5; pawns a2/b4/f3/g2. Black: king g8; queen e6; rooks c2/c8; pawns a6/b5/e3/f5/h7. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. White to move.

Solution (4 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Rxa2 — rook c2→a2, captures pawn. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Rd7 — rook d4→d7. Opponent replies Kf8 (king g8→f8).
  3. Best move: Qd4 — queen d3→d4. Opponent replies Rxg2+ (rook a2→g2, captures pawn, gives check).
  4. Best move: Kxg2 — king h2→g2, captures rook. Opponent replies Rc2+ (rook c8→c2, gives check).
  5. Best move: Kg3 — king g2→g3.

Tactical themes

clearance, defensive move, endgame, equality, very long. The key move is Rd7.

Position data

FEN: 2r3k1/7p/p3q3/1p3p1N/1P1R4/3QpP2/P1r3PK/8 b - - 2 32

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.