Chess Puzzle #oJ8it — Expert, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 2321 · Expert · mate, mate in 2, middlegame, sacrifice, short.

Position

White: king f2; queen e4; rooks c1/h1; pawns c2/e5/f4/g2/h6. Black: king f8; queen c3; rook g3; bishop a6; knight f1; pawns a7/d4/e6/f7. Material is balanced. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: h7 — pawn h6→h7. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Rxg2+ — rook g3→g2, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Qxg2 (queen e4→g2, captures rook).
  3. Best move: Qe3# — queen c3→e3, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

mate, mate in 2, middlegame, sacrifice, short. The combination ends with Qe3# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 5k2/p4p2/b3p2P/4P3/3pQP2/2q3r1/2P2KP1/2R2n1R w - - 0 27

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

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