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

Position

White: king h1; queen c4; rooks b1/d1; knight f3; pawns a4/b3/e5/f4/g2/h2. Black: king g8; queen a5; rooks b8/d8; bishop g7; knight d7; pawns c6/e6/f7/g6/h7. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qc5 — queen a5→c5. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Rxd7 — rook d1→d7, captures knight. Opponent replies Qxc4 (queen c5→c4, captures queen).
3. Best move: Rxd8+ — rook d7→d8, captures rook, gives check. Opponent replies Bf8 (bishop g7→f8).
4. Best move: Rxb8 — rook d8→b8, captures rook.

Tactical themes

equality, long, middlegame. The key move Rxd8+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 1r1r2k1/3n1pbp/2p1p1p1/q3P3/P1Q2P2/1P3N2/6PP/1R1R3K b - - 3 24

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