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I can't, for the life of me, figure out how to solve this puzzle. White to move.

  [FEN "r5k1/6p1/1pp2p1p/p2n1q2/3Q4/P4PB1/2P3PP/4R1K1 w - - 0 1"]
5
  • 3
    You should use your computer, it can give you the answer instantly. Oct 5, 2021 at 16:33
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    @AkibAzmain: For just knowing the solution, this is fine. If the asker is a beginner (dunno - I also needed five seconds, and I'm a FM), even the nice explanation by Brian is a bit insufficient, because a beginner should also try to learn how you find this move. There are several "red flags", in this case it is a knight without proper flight fields as Brian said - which is quite easy to overlook BTW. There are a handful more of them, like king safety etc. Oct 5, 2021 at 17:03
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    Begin by looking for concrete moves, like captures and checks. In this position there are no good captures or checks. Next in line comes direct threats. In this case we have the move c2-c4, which directly threatens to take the knight on d5. If we examine all the possible flight squares, we notice that white can just take the knight on any of these squares, and thus win a piece.
    – Scounged
    Oct 6, 2021 at 2:01
  • why don't you just check on lichess? you can even use chessvision to get the FEN
    – BCLC
    Dec 5, 2021 at 20:11
  • @HaukeReddmann i think it's fine to ask about the solution but really asking the solution itself? i mean we're not wolfram alpha...
    – BCLC
    Dec 5, 2021 at 20:12

1 Answer 1

5

c4 is the answer. Threaten the knight and it has no squares to go to. All squares it can go to are either under control by white or blocked by black pieces (f4 is protected by black queen but f4 is double attacked by white bishop and queen). You win the black knight.

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