Day 1: Knight fork
Target rating: 600
Lesson of the day
A fork is one move that attacks two targets at once, and no piece forks better than the knight. Look through the knight's eyes: it jumps in an L and never moves along straight lines, which is exactly why its threats get missed. Both victims of a knight fork always stand on squares of one color, while the knight strikes from the opposite color. Hunt for the square from which the knight hits the king and a heavy piece at once.
Warm-up
1. Mate in 1: rook to e7Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Fork: bishop to e3Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 1: queen to h7Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Back-rank mate in 3 on a8Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 2: queen to d5Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 2: rook to f1Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
7. Skewer: rook to h8Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 1: queen to g7 (d4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to b7Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f5Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e7 (d5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e7 (d5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to f7 (e5·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to f7 (e5·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d6 (b5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d7Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to d8Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 1: pawn to c2Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: rook to g8Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Discovered attack: bishop to h7Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 1: queen to h7 (h4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Fork: knight to g5Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 2: queen to h2Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 1: queen to e1Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: rook to b8Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 2 →