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

Rating 2458 · Master · advantage, long, middlegame, pin, sacrifice.

Position

White: king c1; queen f3; rook h1; bishop g3; knight e4; pawns a3/b2/c2/e5/g4/h5. Black: king f8; queen c7; rooks a8/d8; bishop g7; pawns a7/b6/d4/e6/f7/g6/h7. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Bxe5 — bishop g7→e5, captures pawn. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Ng5 — knight e4→g5. Opponent replies Bxg3 (bishop e5→g3, captures bishop).
  3. Best move: Nxe6+ — knight g5→e6, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Ke7 (king f8→e7).
  4. Best move: Nxc7 — knight e6→c7, captures queen.

Tactical themes

advantage, long, middlegame, pin, sacrifice. The key move Nxe6+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r2r1k2/p1q2pbp/1p2p1p1/4P2P/3pN1P1/P4QB1/1PP5/2K4R b - - 0 25

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