Chess Puzzle #sjyxh — Expert, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king g1; queen c2; rooks e1/f1; bishop d3; knight d4; pawns a4/c3/c4/g2/g6/h2. Black: king g7; queen b8; rooks c5/e8; bishop b7; knight f6; pawns a6/b6/d6/f7/h7. White is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: hxg6 — pawn h7→g6, captures pawn. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qf2 — queen c2→f2. Opponent replies Qd8 (queen b8→d8).
3. Best move: Rxe8 — rook e1→e8, captures rook.

Tactical themes

advantage, master, middlegame, short. The key move is Qf2.

Position data

FEN: 1q2r3/1b3pkp/pp1p1nP1/2r5/P1PN4/2PB4/2Q3PP/4RRK1 b - - 0 24

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