Day 556: Sacrifice attack
Target rating: 1312
Lesson of the day
A sacrificial attack gives up material on purpose to rip the king's shelter open and launch a decisive assault. The sac is sound when you get concrete assets in return: open lines to the king, tempi, pieces ready to pour in. The signs: a poorly sheltered king, your forces aimed at its home, defenders stranded far away. The iron rule is to calculate, not hope — once the material is gone, there is no way back.
Warm-up
1. Winning blow: king to b3 (a2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: knight to g8 (h6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: pawn to g4 (g3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: bishop to g2 (h3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: pawn to b7 (a6·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: queen to f5 (e4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to b6 (f2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: rook to b8 (b5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: rook to c7 (c1·16)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: queen to a4 (a6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 2: queen to g6 (e4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: queen to g8 (f7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: queen to a5 (d2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: rook to d8 (d2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: queen to b8 (b7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: king to f2 (e1·16)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: queen to a5 (c7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to e8 (e5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d1 (e2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c4 (b2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to f3 (g2·33)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 2: queen to e7 (e4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Castling-960 to the rescue on h8 (e8·2)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: knight to g4 (e3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: pawn to d5 (d4·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 557 →