Chess Puzzle #oMR3Z — Advanced, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1880 · Advanced · crushing, deflection, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king f1; queen e6; rook c5; bishops a4/e1; pawns a3/c3/d4/e5/f2/g2/h2. Black: king d8; queen c7; rooks c8/g8; knights b6/e7; pawns a7/b7/d5/g6/h6. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qb8 — queen c7→b8. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Rxd5+ — rook c5→d5, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Nexd5 (knight e7→d5, captures rook).
  3. Best move: Qxg8+ — queen e6→g8, captures rook, gives check.

Tactical themes

crushing, deflection, middlegame, short. The key move Rxd5+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 2rk2r1/ppq1n3/1n2Q1pp/2RpP3/B2P4/P1P5/5PPP/4BK2 b - - 6 25

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