Chess Puzzle #nnWJL — Expert, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 2353 · Expert · advantage, defensive move, long, middlegame, quiet move.

Position

White: king h1; queen f7; rook a1; bishops c4/e3; knight c3; pawns a2/b2/d4/e2/f3. Black: king a6; queen g3; rook a8; bishops c8/d6; knight f8; pawns a7/b5/c6. White is ahead by 2 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qh5 — queen f7→h5. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Bh3 — bishop c8→h3. Opponent replies Bxb5+ (bishop c4→b5, captures pawn, gives check).
  3. Best move: Kb6 — king a6→b6. Opponent replies Qc5+ (queen h5→c5, gives check).
  4. Best move: Bxc5 — bishop d6→c5, captures queen.

Tactical themes

advantage, defensive move, long, middlegame, quiet move. The key move is Bh3.

Position data

FEN: r1b2n2/p4Q2/k1pb4/1p6/2BP4/2N1BPq1/PP2P3/R6K w - - 6 23

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Puzzle data from the Lichess puzzle database (CC0). Analysis powered by Stockfish 18 in your browser.