Day 461: Deflection
Target rating: 1192
Lesson of the day
Deflection forces the guard to leave its post: a sacrifice or exchange drags it away from the piece or square it protects. First find the critical defender — the piece whose absence makes the mate or the material win possible. Then find the move it cannot ignore, which is usually a capture. Do not be stingy: if removing the guard wins the queen or mates, the sacrifice pays for itself many times over.
Warm-up
1. Winning blow: queen to d8 (d2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: queen to e7 (e5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: queen to e6 (b6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: knight to d6 (b5·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: queen to g7 (h6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: queen to e7 (d6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to h8 (h5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: queen to f7 (f3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to c2 (d2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: queen to b6 (b1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: bishop to f8 (h6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: king to b2 (c1·26)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: queen to c7 (c8·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Discovered attack: rook to e2Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
15. Deflection: rook to c4Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: knight to b4 (d5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: queen to e1 (g1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Skewer: bishop to a4Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: rook to f7 (f5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 2: bishop to a6 (c4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: rook to b1 (d1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: knight to d7 (c5·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e5 (f4·95)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: rook to g4 (g1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: pawn to e5 (f4·21)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 462 →