Day 428: Rook endgame
Target rating: 1155
Lesson of the day
The rook endgame is the most common of all: rooks and pawns on the board. Its first law is activity — a rook behind a passed pawn beats a rook passively babysitting one. The sign of a correct plan is that your rook is attacking something, not guarding something. The typical error is locking your rook into defense: it is often better to give up a pawn and keep your rook and king active.
Warm-up
1. Winning blow: knight to f7 (e5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: king to h2 (g1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to c5 (c4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: king to g1 (h1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: queen to f4 (f2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: rook to a3 (e3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to f6 (g4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: king to d2 (c1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: bishop to e5 (d4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: king to d1 (c1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: king to a2 (b1·26)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: king to h2 (g1·31)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: king to d2 (c1·18)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: rook to h7 (b7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Deflection: pawn to h5Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 2: queen to h6 (h4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h8 (e5·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: bishop to h7 (f5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: rook to e1 (g1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: knight to d2 (f1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to h2 (e5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: bishop to a5 (e1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: knight to c6 (e5·20)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 2: queen to d6 (c5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: bishop to g4Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
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