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

Position

White: king c3; queen g6; knight h5; pawns a4/d4/e3/e5/h2. Black: king h8; queen e7; knight b4; pawns c4/d5/e6/g7/h6. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Nd3 — knight b4→d3. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qxg7+ — queen g6→g7, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Qxg7 (queen e7→g7, captures queen).
3. Best move: Nxg7 — knight h5→g7, captures queen. Opponent replies Kxg7 (king h8→g7, captures knight).
4. Best move: a5 — pawn a4→a5.

Tactical themes

crushing, defensive move, endgame, long, sacrifice. The key move Qxg7+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 7k/4q1p1/4p1Qp/3pP2N/PnpP4/2K1P3/7P/8 b - - 3 35

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