Day 578: Counter-strike
Target rating: 1347
Lesson of the day
The counter-strike: instead of defending against the threat, you answer with a bigger threat of your own. While your opponent grabs a pawn, you deliver mate — the arithmetic favors you. Look for a counter when direct defenses fail: do you have a check, an attack on the queen, a mating threat? The beginner's error is meeting every threat with a reflexive defense without checking the counterattacking resources first.
Warm-up
1. Fork: bishop to d6 (e5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Fork: queen to e1 (e6·2)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: bishop to d5 (f3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: bishop to b7 (g2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: bishop to g5 (e3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: queen to b8 (b7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to b2 (b1·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: bishop to f7 (c4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: bishop to f6 (g5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: rook to e2 (e1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Fork: knight to e2 (d4·5)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: queen to c6 (e4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: queen to a4 (a7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Win the hanging king on d6Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: queen to c7 (c2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Castling-960 to the rescue on a1 (d1·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Castling-960 to the rescue on b8 (c8·3)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
18. Castling-960 to the rescue on b1 (c1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Castling-960 to the rescue on g1 (f1·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Castling-960 to the rescue on h1 (d1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Castling-960 to the rescue on a8 (c8·4)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
22. Castling-960 to the rescue on b1 (c1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Castling-960 to the rescue on g1 (c1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Castling-960 to the rescue on a1 (d1·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Castling-960 to the rescue on h1 (g1·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 579 →