Chess Puzzle #zZS5q — Master, White to move, middlegame

Rating 2665 · Master · advantage, defensive move, endgame, long, quiet move.

Position

White: king h2; queen c7; pawns b5/c4/d6/g2/g3. Black: king h7; queen g7; rook a2; pawns a7/b7/h5. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: h4 — pawn h5→h4. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: c5 — pawn c4→c5. Opponent replies Rd2 (rook a2→d2).
  3. Best move: c6 — pawn c5→c6. Opponent replies hxg3+ (pawn h4→g3, captures pawn, gives check).
  4. Best move: Kh3 — king h2→h3.

Tactical themes

advantage, defensive move, endgame, long, quiet move. The key move is c5.

Position data

FEN: 8/ppQ3qk/3P4/1P5p/2P5/6P1/r5PK/8 b - - 0 39

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