Day 509: Mate in 2
Target rating: 1252
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: rook to e7 (e8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: king to f2 (g1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: rook to h3 (g3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: king to a2 (b1·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: king to d2 (e1·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: knight to e2 (c3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: pawn to g4 (g3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: king to b1 (c1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: king to d2 (c1·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: king to e2 (d1·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 2: pin on a6Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: pin on h3Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: bishop to g7Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: rook to h2 (h8)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: knight to e4 (g5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to g5 (h3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: queen to d4 (g4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c4 (c3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to a8 (a4·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to d7 (d2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: rook to e4 (a4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: rook to h4 (g4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e5 (e4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to a7 (a5·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: rook to b7 (b6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
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