Day 454: Overload
Target rating: 1180
Lesson of the day
Overloading exploits a defender with two jobs at once — guarding a piece and covering a mating square, for instance. It cannot do both: your first strike forces it to handle one duty and abandon the other. Find the overworked piece by asking what happens to each of its charges if it gets distracted. Then hit one target and collect the other — an overloaded defender only pretends to defend.
Warm-up
1. Winning blow: knight to e7 (d5·14)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: king to d2 (d1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: rook to f6 (f5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: king to d3 (d2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c7 (b5·26)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: king to e3 (d2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e7 (d5·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: king to b2 (c1·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to f6 (c3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: king to e2 (d2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: rook to d5 (d1·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: pawn to c6 (c5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: knight to f5 (e3·15)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: queen to h8 (b8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: pawn to g3 (h2·14)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to d2 (c1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to c3 (a3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to a4 (c2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: rook to g6 (g1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 2: queen to d7 (d8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: pawn to c7 (c6·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: rook to d7 (d2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to g3 (h2·30)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: king to c3 (d2·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: rook to e2 (e1·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 455 →