Day 545: Counter-strike
Target rating: 1304
Lesson of the day
The counter-strike: instead of defending against the threat, you answer with a bigger threat of your own. While your opponent grabs a pawn, you deliver mate — the arithmetic favors you. Look for a counter when direct defenses fail: do you have a check, an attack on the queen, a mating threat? The beginner's error is meeting every threat with a reflexive defense without checking the counterattacking resources first.
Warm-up
1. Winning blow: rook to g7 (g3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: rook to d6 (d5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: queen to e8 (g8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: king to h1 (g1·28)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: queen to f5 (d3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: rook to d8 (d1·18)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: knight to d5 (e3·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: rook to a8 (a1·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to e5 (d5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: bishop to f5 (d3·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to g6 (h5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: bishop to a7 (e3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: rook to d2 (c2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to g7 (g3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: rook to f8 (f7·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Skewer: rook to g7 (d7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: knight to e5 (d3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to f5 (e3·18)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Pin: bishop to d4Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 2: queen to d8 (d2·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 2: rook to d7 (d1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 2: queen to f7 (d5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: knight to d5 (c3·17)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 2: queen to g5 (d2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e4 (e2·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
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