Day 561: Corner mate
Target rating: 1320
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: queen to e6 (g4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: knight to d6 (f5·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e4 (g4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e7 (e6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f6 (a1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: knight to d6 (f5·14)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to e6 (e4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: knight to e5 (d3·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c6 (a5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to f6 (g4·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 2: knight to g6 (e5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: queen to d5 (d6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: bishop to g8 (b3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: rook to c7 (c1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: queen to h8 (h3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to a6 (c8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: queen to d7 (e6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 2: rook to h7 (h3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Castling-960 to the rescue on g8 (e8·2)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: king to b1 (a2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to e7 (e8·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f8 (f2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to f7 (f1·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Castling-960 to the rescue on a1 (d1·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: king to h1 (g1·34)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 562 →