Day 389: Promotion
Target rating: 1108
Lesson of the day
Promotion turns a pawn on the last rank into a queen and rewrites the evaluation on the spot. In tactics the passer rarely walks in for free — usually a sacrifice clears its path. Count the tempi: how many moves does the pawn need, and can the defender stop it in time? And watch the promotion square itself — it must be out of enemy reach or won by force in your combination.
Warm-up
1. Winning blow: bishop to c6 (b5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: rook to d6 (d5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: rook to c1 (a1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: rook to a8 (a1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: rook to e4 (e1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: bishop to a5 (d2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: pawn to e5 (d4·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: queen to b2 (a3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to c3 (e1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d6 (f5·16)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: queen to e2 (d2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: pawn to d7 (c6·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: knight to f8 (g6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: knight to c7 (d5·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: queen to b5 (f1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: knight to f4 (g6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: rook to c3 (a3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to d6 (d4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to a3 (a1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: rook to d8 (d2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: bishop to a1 (b2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to f3 (f2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to b5 (b1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: knight to d4 (f3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: pawn to a4 (a3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 390 →