Chess Puzzle #kscis — Master, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king h1; queen b7; rooks a1/d3; bishop g2; knight f3; pawns a2/b2/g3/h2. Black: king g8; queen h5; rooks a8/d8; bishops e3/g4; pawns a5/f7/g7/h7. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (4 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Bh6 — bishop e3→h6. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Rad1 — rook a1→d1. Opponent replies Bg5 (bishop h6→g5).
3. Best move: Rxd8+ — rook d3→d8, captures rook, gives check. Opponent replies Rxd8 (rook a8→d8, captures rook).
4. Best move: Rxd8+ — rook d1→d8, captures rook, gives check. Opponent replies Bxd8 (bishop g5→d8, captures rook).
5. Best move: Qa8 — queen b7→a8.

Tactical themes

advantage, master, middlegame, pin, quiet move, very long. The key move Rxd8+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r2r2k1/1Q3ppp/8/p6q/6b1/3RbNP1/PP4BP/R6K b - - 4 23

Solve this puzzle interactively on Brilliant Knight — free tactics training powered by Stockfish 18, no signup required.