Chess Puzzle #sKe3f — Master, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king a4; queen b7; knight c3; pawns a3/c4/d3/f6. Black: king d7; queen a1; rook g8; bishop d2; pawns a7/e6/f7/h6. Black is ahead by 5 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Kd6 — king d7→d6. Now White to move.
2. Best move: d4 — pawn d3→d4. Opponent replies Qxc3 (queen a1→c3, captures knight).
3. Best move: c5+ — pawn c4→c5, gives check.

Tactical themes

crushing, endgame, quiet move, sacrifice, short. The key move is d4.

Position data

FEN: 6r1/pQ1k1p2/4pP1p/8/K1P5/P1NP4/3b4/q7 b - - 1 33

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