Open in the app

The 1000-day course

Day 443: Promotion

Target rating: 1176

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. Attack on the uncastled king: king to e1 (d1)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: king to g1 (f1·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: king to d2 (d1·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: king to g1 (f1·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: pawn to b3 (b2·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: knight to b1 (d2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: pawn to b4 (b3·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: king to g4Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: king to c1 (b2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: king to g1 (f1·7)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Winning blow: pawn to c7 (c6·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: pawn to e7 (e6·11)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: pawn to b7 (b6·12)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: bishop to g5 (c1·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: king to g1 (f2·10)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: rook to f7 (f8·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: queen to h3 (d7)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: pawn to f4 (g3·12)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: rook to b1 (f1·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c3 (b2·26)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: rook to e6 (e1·18)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: queen to f8 (d6)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to c6 (a4·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: bishop to g1Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: pawn to f5 (g4·9)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Winning blow: pawn to e6 (d5·19)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e3 (d2·13)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Mate in 3: queen to f2 (d4)Analysis
h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
Black to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Mate in 2: queen to f8 (d8)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Winning blow: queen to e8 (h5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 444 →