Day 519: Long-range opener
Target rating: 1268
Lesson of the day
The long-range opener: a bishop, rook or queen strikes across the whole board straight from its starting area. In Chess960 the long-range pieces sit on unfamiliar squares, and a single pawn move can uncover a shot deep into the enemy camp. In the opening, trace with your eyes the diagonals and files of every long-range piece — yours and theirs. The mistake is pushing a pawn without checking whose line you have just opened.
Warm-up
1. Winning blow: queen to b7 (b6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to c6 (a4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: pawn to d5 (d4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: pawn to a8 (a7·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: rook to c8 (c6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: queen to e4 (h7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: bishop to g5 (d2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: pawn to c4 (c3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e5 (e4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to g6 (e5·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to g7 (c3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to b7 (b3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to g7 (c3·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to c4 (f1·17)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to g6 (b1·16)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: queen to b3 (b8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: bishop to f5 (e4·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: rook to a7 (a5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Castling-960 to the rescue on g1 (c1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c3 (b2·27)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 2: deflection on h3Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b6 (b3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Castling-960 to the rescue on c1 (d1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: rook to g1 (h1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: knight to a7 (c6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 520 →