Day 555: Promotion
Target rating: 1310
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. Winning blow: rook to e7 (b7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: queen to g5 (h5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: rook to h6 (h2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to g6 (b1·15)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: queen to h5 (g4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: rook to c1 (f1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: rook to c1 (h1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: pawn to c6 (d5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: pawn to g6 (h5·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: queen to e5 (e3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: rook to c8 (c2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: queen to d8 (d6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Deflection: pawn to c7Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to b7 (c6·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: queen to d6 (c6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: rook to b6 (b3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: queen to e8 (b5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 2: queen to d7 (d6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Castling-960 to the rescue on b1 (c1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to b3 (b2·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to h5 (e2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: queen to f6 (f7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to g8 (g4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 2: rook to g4 (g3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Castling-960 to the rescue on a1 (d1·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 556 →