Day 263: Winning blow
Target rating: 939
Lesson of the day
A winning blow is a forced material gain that does not fit a single textbook motif. The general tactical recipe applies: spot loose pieces, an awkwardly placed king, overloaded lines. Go through the forcing moves in order of violence — checks, captures, threats — because most combinations start with one of them. Do not judge by feel: calculate the concrete line until the outcome is beyond doubt.
Warm-up
1. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d4 (b3·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: king to g3 (f2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: knight to g4 (e5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to g3 (b8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to h7 (h1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to h5 (h4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to f3 (g2·16)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d5 (e3·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to f8 (g6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e3 (f1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Win the hanging knight on e6Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: rook to d8 (d7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: rook to e8 (e5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: rook to f7 (f1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: knight to f5 (e3·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 1: queen to g2 (c6·8)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: queen to d1 (g4·4)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
18. Fork: rook to d3Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
19. Fork: bishop to e3 (g5)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
20. Fork: knight to e4 (g3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Fork: rook to d8 (d1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Fork: bishop to c5 (d6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to c7 (h2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to g3 (c7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: rook to d7 (c7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 264 →