Day 318: Mate in 2
Target rating: 1011
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 f4 (e6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c1 (d3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: bishop to g5 (c1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: pawn to e5 (d4·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f2 (f1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: rook to d3Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to g5 (h4·25)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: queen to c6 (g2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c6 (d5·33)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to f5 (e4·66)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h6 (c1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h8 (d4·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to a6 (c4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: queen to g1Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f3 (d1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 2: queen to a8 (b7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: bishop to d3 (g6)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 2: bishop to e5 (a1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: queen to b6 (e3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 2: knight to d6 (f5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to h3 (f1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 2: queen to f7 (h7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Discovered attack: rook to d8Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to d8 (d1·17)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: rook to g8 (g7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 319 →