Day 128: Mate in 2
Target rating: 771
Lesson of the day
Mate in two: your move, any reply, then the mating blow. Start with the most forcing first moves — checks and sacrifices that shrink the opponent's options to almost nothing. Against every single reply you must have a mate ready, so check them all without exception. The common failure is analyzing the pretty defense and forgetting the boring one.
Warm-up
1. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to b5 (d3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to f6 (g5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to f4 (d4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to a4 (b3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to h6 (g5·14)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to a5 (c5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c4 (d3·26)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: king to e2 (d1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c5 (b4·27)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to f5 (g4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 2: queen to e8 (e3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: queen to g6 (d3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: deflection on g5 (g4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: queen to h2 (h4·3)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: rook to f2 (f8)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c6 (b5·17)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to f5 (d4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to d3 (e2·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c3 (b2·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to g5 (h4·21)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to h8 (c3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c6 (d5·28)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to g2 (h1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: pawn to e3 (d2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to a4 (b3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
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