Chess Puzzle #t02B1 — Expert, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king g1; queen b5; rooks a1/e1; bishop f4; knight h5; pawns a6/b2/c2/f2/g2. Black: king b7; queen h4; rooks c5/h8; bishops f8/h7; knight b6; pawns a7/e6/f7/g7/h6. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Kc8 — king b7→c8. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qxb6 — queen b5→b6, captures knight. Opponent replies axb6 (pawn a7→b6, captures queen).
3. Best move: a7 — pawn a6→a7. Opponent replies Kd7 (king c8→d7).
4. Best move: a8=Q — pawn a7→a8, promotes to queen.

Tactical themes

advanced pawn, crushing, long, middlegame, promotion, sacrifice. The key move Qxb6 wins material.

Position data

FEN: 5b1r/pk3ppb/Pn2p2p/1Qr4N/5B1q/8/1PP2PP1/R3R1K1 b - - 0 24

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