Day 227: Mate in 2
Target rating: 897
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. Winning blow: knight to c8 (e7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e5 (b2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to a5 (b3·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e4 (f3·19)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: knight to f3 (g1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to g6 (h4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: pawn to d5 (c4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to e4 (b1·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to a4 (c3·15)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d4 (f3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 2: queen to h7 (e4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: queen to h6 (f4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: queen to f2 (f4)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: queen to f1 (f7·2)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: queen to h2 (f4)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e8 (d6·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: pawn to b6 (a5·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to a5 (a1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to g3 (f2·19)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: rook to c1 (d1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Fork: knight to f2 (e4)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
22. Skewer: queen to g1Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: pawn to f4 (e3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: bishop to e5 (f4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to e6 (a2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
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