Day 172: Mate in 2
Target rating: 825
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: pawn to a4 (b3·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: king to d2 (e1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h4 (f2·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to h8 (c3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to d5 (e4·46)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to e3 (f2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to h5 (h1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e5 (d4·48)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d5 (e5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: knight to g5 (h3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 2: pawn to g4 (g2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: bishop to f2Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: pawn to f5Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: knight to g3Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: queen to f1 (f7)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to a1 (d1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: queen to c4 (b3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b7 (h1·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: queen to f8 (a3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: rook to b1 (c1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: pawn to c6 (c5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: rook to h5 (h1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: knight to e1 (d3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e4 (f3·32)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: rook to c5 (e5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
26. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c7 (c6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e8 (e3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to g7 (g5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 173 →