Day 573: Overload
Target rating: 1339
Lesson of the day
Overloading exploits a defender with two jobs at once — guarding a piece and covering a mating square, for instance. It cannot do both: your first strike forces it to handle one duty and abandon the other. Find the overworked piece by asking what happens to each of its charges if it gets distracted. Then hit one target and collect the other — an overloaded defender only pretends to defend.
Warm-up
1. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to g7 (b2·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: knight to g1Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: pawn to f3 (f2·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: queen to f6 (g5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: king to f1 (g1·26)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: rook to f6 (f1·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: bishop to g4 (h5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d6 (d5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: king to a2 (b1·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: knight to c5 (e4·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: queen to h6 (f4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: queen to g7 (g2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: rook to c7 (c8·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: queen to e7 (c7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: queen to a6 (b7·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: queen to e7 (e3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: rook to a5 (b5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to g6 (c2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to c5 (c1·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: rook to a7 (a1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Win the hanging knight on c4Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e5 (f4·97)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to a3 (b5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: knight to e7 (f5·27)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: pawn to g6 (f5·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 574 →