Day 419: Uncastled king
Target rating: 1140
Lesson of the day
Punishing the uncastled king: your opponent delayed castling, and now his king is stuck on its starting square under fire. In Chess960 this is deadlier than in classical chess — the king may start in the center or near the edge, and the familiar defensive setups simply do not apply. The signs: the victim still holds castling rights, and the files toward his king are half-open. Open lines before the king manages to hide.
Warm-up
1. Winning blow: knight to e6 (g5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: rook to g8 (g1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e6 (d4·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to b7 (f3·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to g6 (g2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: knight to d7 (c5·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: pawn to f5 (g4·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: knight to c6 (a7·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: knight to f5 (d4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: knight to d4 (b3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to h6 (h3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f4 (f2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to a6 (a3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Attack on the uncastled king: king to b2 (b1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Attack on the uncastled king: king to h1 (g1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to c6 (f3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: queen to e8 (h5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: rook to g3 (f3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h6 (h3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: knight to c4 (d2·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d5 (d3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: rook to c7 (c1·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: rook to d4 (d2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: rook to f8 (f1·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: rook to h2 (g2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 420 →