Day 531: Winning blow
Target rating: 1288
Lesson of the day
A winning blow is a forced material gain that does not fit a single textbook motif. The general tactical recipe applies: spot loose pieces, an awkwardly placed king, overloaded lines. Go through the forcing moves in order of violence — checks, captures, threats — because most combinations start with one of them. Do not judge by feel: calculate the concrete line until the outcome is beyond doubt.
Warm-up
1. Winning blow: king to h1 (g1·22)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: knight to c1 (d3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: king to d1 (e1·14)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: king to h1 (h2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d2 (f3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: king to b1 (a1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to c4 (b3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: pawn to b3 (b2·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to e7 (e1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: king to b1 (c1·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: bishop to h7 (e4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: bishop to f6 (a1·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: queen to f7 (h5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: bishop to b2 (a1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: rook to c5 (c4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 2: queen to f6 (c3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Skewer: queen to g7Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Discovered attack: bishop to e8Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to d8 (d2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 2: queen to b6 (b4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Skewer: queen to h8 (f6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: king to c1 (b1·18)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: knight to f7 (g5·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 2: queen to h6 (d2·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: knight to e6 (f4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 532 →