Day 594: Mate in 2
Target rating: 1368
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. Winning blow: queen to e8 (g6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e7 (f5·15)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: queen to f5 (d3·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: queen to d7 (d4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: king to e2 (e1·15)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: queen to g7 (f7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: king to b3 (b2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d5 (c3·23)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to b8 (a7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: rook to g6 (g1·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 2: queen to g6 (c6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: rook to h8 (h7·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: pin on a3Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: rook to h7 (h3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: rook to e1 (e8·3)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
16. Deflection: queen to f7Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e6 (c5·22)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 2: queen to f7 (f2·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: queen to g6 (h6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 2: queen to f8 (e8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 2: queen to b6 (a7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 2: rook to f7 (d7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 2: queen to f7 (f3·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Fork: knight to f4 (d5·4)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: rook to f6 (d6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 595 →