Day 565: Mate in 3
Target rating: 1326
Lesson of the day
Mate in three is a forced staircase: each of your moves narrows the opponent's choices, and the third one ends the game. Look for the start among checks and sacrifices — quiet first moves are rare in mating problems, but deliciously sneaky. Keep the tree in your head: every defense gets its own branch. Do not stop calculating after move two — see the final mating picture with your own eyes.
Warm-up
1. Mate in 2: queen to d8 (g8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 2: bishop to g6 (d3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 2: knight to e7 (d5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 2: queen to d6 (a3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 2: pawn to g5 (g4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to b7 (c6·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 2: pawn to f6 (e5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 2: queen to g4 (g3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 2: fork on c5Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b5 (c5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Back-rank mate in 3 on e1Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: pawn to g6Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: queen to d4 (c3·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: queen to h7 (e4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: queen to g7 (e5·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c7 (b6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: queen to g6 (h5·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 2: queen to g7 (g4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Pin: rook to d8Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: knight to d6 (f5·15)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e7 (e2·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 2: rook to d7 (f7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Castling-960 to the rescue on d1 (c1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: pawn to f6 (g5·15)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Trap the rook on a8Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 566 →