Chess Puzzle #pIIje — Advanced, White to move, opening

Rating 1918 · Advanced · mate, mate in 2, middlegame, sacrifice, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen g5; rooks a1/f1; bishops c1/c2; knight f6; pawns a2/b2/c3/d3/e5/g2/h3. Black: king g7; queen e7; rooks a8/h8; bishops c7/c8; knights b6/c6; pawns a7/b7/c5/d4/f5/f7/h5. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Kf8 — king g7→f8. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qh6+ — queen g5→h6, gives check. Opponent replies Rxh6 (rook h8→h6, captures queen).
  3. Best move: Bxh6# — bishop c1→h6, captures rook, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

mate, mate in 2, middlegame, sacrifice, short. The combination ends with Bxh6# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: r1b4r/ppb1qpk1/1nn2N2/2p1PpQp/3p4/2PP3P/PPB3P1/R1B2RK1 b - - 1 21

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