Day 537: Mate in 1
Target rating: 1297
Lesson of the day
Mate in one: the combination is over, only the final precise shot remains. The method is simple — list every check you have and test the three escapes against each: king moves, blocks, and capturing the checker. If none of them works, it is mate. The classic blunder is falling in love with the first check you see and missing the one escape hatch.
Warm-up
1. Winning blow: king to e1 (d1·17)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: king to d1 (d2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: king to d1 (e1·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: king to h1 (g1·26)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: king to f1 (e1·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: bishop to d1 (b3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: knight to c5 (d3·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: king to a2 (b1·20)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e8 (e3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: bishop to d2 (e1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 1: queen to h7 (e4·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 1: queen to f6 (f3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 1: bishop to g5 (f4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 1: bishop to g2 (h3)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 1: queen to a8 (a2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 2: queen to e8 (e4·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Discovered attack: rook to g4Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to g8 (g3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to c8 (c6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 2: queen to c8 (c3·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Castling-960 to the rescue on a1 (b1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: king to g3 (f2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: pawn to a5 (a4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 2: queen to c6 (c5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: rook to b7 (b8·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 538 →