I’m a new chess player and do not understand why the solution to this puzzle is Qc2+ instead of something like Rb8, Qf5, g4 I don’t really understand what black could do here to save the Queen?
I’m a new chess player and do not understand why the solution to this puzzle is Qc2+ instead of something like Rb8, Qf5, g4 I don’t really understand what black could do here to save the Queen?
Especially when looking at puzzles, always look for forcing moves (like checks) because it forces your opponent to react and makes it easier to calculate for you. In this case, checks can be done by the queen or knight.
This forks the Rook and King and forces Black to lose their rook after Qxa4. Rb8 like you suggest does not win any material, and is not forcing your opponent to make a specific move. Hope that helps. —