Answers.Body: <p>No, the best move would have just been taking White's bishop on c2, like you assumed.</p>
  <p>Why Stockfish has a slight preference for Qxf5 is a little puzzling. If you think about it though, White has to choose between losing a bishop (a loss of ~3 material points in human estimations) versus losing a queen for a bishop and pawn (~5 material points). Then there's the fact that White will be the only one with a nice bishop, as opposed to Black's bishop ruling supreme. Also, Black's pawn chain is broken up a bit.</p>
  <p>In any event though, the position is dead lost for White in either case.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2023-08-19T03:20:13.237Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2023-08-19T03:20:13.237Z
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Body: <p>I was playing the following <a href="https://lichess.org/training/D4L1T" rel="nofollow noreferrer">puzzle</a> on lichess playing the black pieces and found the move <code>Bf5</code>, expecting either <code>Qe2</code> or <code>Qe3</code>, resulting in me taking the white bishop on <code>c2</code> and completing the puzzle.</p>
  <p>The play by white however surprised me as white instead played <code>Qxf5</code>, allowing for me to take the queen with <code>exf5</code></p>
  <p>If instead white had played either <code>Qe2</code>or <code>Qe3</code> I would at most have won a bishop on <code>bxc2</code>. and left me with no more ways to threaten the queen (<code>Qe5</code> doesn't work due to the D pawn, <code>Kd4</code> dito with C pawn), and it doesn't look like white gains a superior position due to the sacrifice</p>
  <p>Am I missing some other big opportunity here that would give black a big advantage if white had not sacrificed the queen?</p>
  <pre><code> r3k1nr/5pp1/p1nqp2p/1p1p4/3P2b1/2PQ1N2/PPBN1PPP/R3K2R b KQkq - 1 12
  </code></pre>
  
Tags: <puzzles><sacrifice>
Title: Why would white play Qf5
ThreadText: # Why would white play Qf5
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2023-08-18)
  
  I was playing the following [puzzle](https://lichess.org/training/D4L1T) on lichess playing the black pieces and found the move `Bf5`, expecting either `Qe2` or `Qe3`, resulting in me taking the white bishop on `c2` and completing the puzzle.
  
  The play by white however surprised me as white instead played `Qxf5`, allowing for me to take the queen with `exf5`
  
  If instead white had played either `Qe2`or `Qe3` I would at most have won a bishop on `bxc2`. and left me with no more ways to threaten the queen (`Qe5` doesn't work due to the D pawn, `Kd4` dito with C pawn), and it doesn't look like white gains a superior position due to the sacrifice
  
  Am I missing some other big opportunity here that would give black a big advantage if white had not sacrificed the queen?
  
  ```
   r3k1nr/5pp1/p1nqp2p/1p1p4/3P2b1/2PQ1N2/PPBN1PPP/R3K2R b KQkq - 1 12
  
  ```
  
  **Tags:** puzzles, sacrifice
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2023-08-19. Score: 6 | Accepted answer
  
  No, the best move would have just been taking White's bishop on c2, like you assumed.
  
  Why Stockfish has a slight preference for Qxf5 is a little puzzling. If you think about it though, White has to choose between losing a bishop (a loss of ~3 material points in human estimations) versus losing a queen for a bishop and pawn (~5 material points). Then there's the fact that White will be the only one with a nice bishop, as opposed to Black's bishop ruling supreme. Also, Black's pawn chain is broken up a bit.
  
  In any event though, the position is dead lost for White in either case.
  
  
  ---
  
  