Day 395: Mate in 2
Target rating: 1112
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 b5 (d6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c7 (b5·21)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to d5 (h1·24)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e7 (e6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: pawn to d7 (e6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: knight to d6 (f5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: pawn to c4 (d3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: knight to c6 (e7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: king to b2 (c1·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: knight to d5 (e3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 2: rook to b1 (b2·2)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: rook to g1Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: queen to h2 (h4·4)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: rook to h7 (h2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: queen to g4 (e2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: pawn to b5 (b4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e6 (e5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: bishop to c1 (e3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: pawn to g4 (g2·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to g3 (g2·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: rook to g5 (d5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to b4 (b2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: queen to a3 (b4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to c6 (c5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to b2 (a1·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 396 →