Day 535: Corner mate
Target rating: 1294
Lesson of the day
The corner mate catches a king driven into the corner, where it has only three neighboring squares — all of them taken away or blocked. The corner is the worst home for a king, because the attacker needs to control the fewest squares there. Herd the king toward the corner with checks and never let it slip back toward the center. Cut off the escape routes before the final check, and the mate practically assembles itself.
Warm-up
1. Winning blow: rook to f7 (d7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: pawn to g3 (g2·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: queen to c6 (d5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: king to e1 (f1·16)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: knight to e5 (d3·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: king to e1 (d1·16)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to h6 (c1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: rook to g1 (g3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to g6 (g3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: king to h1 (g1·23)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 2: queen to h3 (g3·2)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: rook to f8 (f1·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: bishop to e5 (g3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: knight to f6 (h5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: queen to g6 (f6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Castling-960 to the rescue on h1 (f1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Castling-960 to the rescue on e8Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
18. Castling-960 to the rescue on h1 (e1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Skewer: queen to a8Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Castling-960 to the rescue on a1 (e1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Castling-960 to the rescue on h1 (c1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 2: rook to b6Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 2: queen to e6 (f5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 2: rook to f8 (f3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Castling-960 to the rescue on b1 (d1·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 536 →