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

Position

White: king h2; queen d1; rooks a7/e3; bishop b2; pawn h3. Black: king d7; queen c4; rook f4; bishops c7/e6; knight e4; pawns b5/f5. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Kc6 — king d7→c6. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Rxc7+ — rook a7→c7, captures bishop, gives check. Opponent replies Kxc7 (king c6→c7, captures rook).
3. Best move: Be5+ — bishop b2→e5, gives check. Opponent replies Kb7 (king c7→b7).
4. Best move: Bxf4 — bishop e5→f4, captures rook.

Tactical themes

attraction, equality, fork, long, middlegame, sacrifice. The key move Rxc7+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 8/R1bk4/4b3/1p3p2/2q1nr2/4R2P/1B5K/3Q4 b - - 1 35

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