Chess Puzzle #vy2xY — Master, White to move, middlegame

Rating 2412 · Master · equality, fork, long, middlegame.

Position

White: king g1; queen g3; rooks a1/f1; knight d5; pawns a2/b2/c2/f2/g2. Black: king g8; queen g5; rooks a8/f8; bishop f5; knight g4; pawns a7/b7/c7/f7. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Rad8 — rook a8→d8. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: f4 — pawn f2→f4. Opponent replies Qh6 (queen g5→h6).
  3. Best move: Ne7+ — knight d5→e7, gives check. Opponent replies Kh7 (king g8→h7).
  4. Best move: Nxf5 — knight e7→f5, captures bishop.

Tactical themes

equality, fork, long, middlegame. The key move is f4.

Position data

FEN: r4rk1/ppp2p2/8/3N1bq1/6n1/6Q1/PPP2PP1/R4RK1 b - - 0 17

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