Day 420: Mate in 2
Target rating: 992
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: bishop to g5 (c1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: king to f1 (g1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: pawn to b3 (c2·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: king to g2 (f2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: knight to f2 (h1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: rook to b3 (f3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to c5 (a7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: rook to e8 (e1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c5 (b4·29)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to d4 (d1·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 2: queen to c8 (e6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: bishop to h6 (e3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: queen to c7 (e5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: knight to e5Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: rook to e8 (d8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to b3 (c2·18)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to f4 (e3·47)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: knight to d6 (e4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: bishop to h1 (f3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: queen to h5 (e5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d7 (d3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f5 (f2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to g8 (g3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to c7 (a5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e4 (f3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
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