Day 564: Mate in 2
Target rating: 1324
Lesson of the day
Mate in two: your move, any reply, then the mating blow. Start with the most forcing first moves — checks and sacrifices that shrink the opponent's options to almost nothing. Against every single reply you must have a mate ready, so check them all without exception. The common failure is analyzing the pretty defense and forgetting the boring one.
Warm-up
1. Mate in 2: pawn to h7 (g6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 2: bishop to f6 (h4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 2: queen to e6 (d5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to h8 (h7·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 2: knight to c6 (e5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 2: knight to g5 (f7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 2: queen to e6 (b3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 2: queen to b5 (b4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 2: queen to g6 (h5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 2: rook to f7 (f1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 2: queen to a8 (a7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: bishop to h2 (d6·2)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: knight to h6 (f5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: queen to e7 (f7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: queen to f6 (f4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: king to a2 (b1·38)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Discovered attack: pawn to d6Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to c5 (e7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: queen to h8 (d4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Castling-960 to the rescue on a1 (f1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to c4 (f1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: queen to d5 (e5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 2: queen to g8 (g2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e7 (a3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Castling-960 to the rescue on a1 (b1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
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