Day 528: Promotion
Target rating: 1283
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: queen to d4 (c3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: king to f2 (e1·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: king to c1 (b1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: king to h2 (g1·22)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: king to h3 (g4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: queen to a8 (d8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: king to g2 (h2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: knight to d6 (e8·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: king to c1 (d1·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: knight to f6 (e4·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: queen to d5 (a5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: pawn to c7 (c6·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Pin: pawn to d8Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: queen to g6 (g4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: queen to f7 (e7·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: queen to d8 (e7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: bishop to e5 (c3·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to d5 (a2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: queen to c8 (b7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: queen to g8 (d5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to d6 (h2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to c2 (d2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 2: queen to f8 (f2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: knight to g3 (h5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: king to e4 (f3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 529 →