Day 208: Mate in 2
Target rating: 867
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: rook to g8 (g5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: king to d2 (e1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to g2 (f3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to f6 (d5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to d5 (c4·65)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to a3 (b2·20)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to f5 (e3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to g5 (c1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to a2 (a1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e4 (f3·17)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 2: rook to a1 (a2·2)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: queen to h4 (g4)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: queen to f8 (c5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: queen to h6 (c1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: queen to f2 (c5·3)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: knight to f5 (e3·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: bishop to f5 (g6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Fork: queen to e5Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: pawn to b6 (c5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: rook to f1 (g1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to g4 (e2·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: queen to f2 (g2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: bishop to f4 (d2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Fork: knight to d4 (e2)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
25. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c1 (d3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 209 →