Day 635: Discovered mate
Target rating: 1422
Lesson of the day
In a discovered mate the piece that moves is not the one that mates — the long-range piece behind it delivers the blow. The moving piece is completely free: it can land anywhere, ideally stealing the king's last squares or guarding key points. Look for your rook, bishop or queen lined up with the enemy king, with exactly one of your own pieces in between. When choosing the unveiling move, remember its second job — shutting the king's escape door.
Warm-up
1. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f8 (f2·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 2: queen to b8 (b2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 2: queen to d8 (a8·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 2: knight to a6Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 2: queen to d8 (d2·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 2: queen to f8 (a8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 2: queen to e8 (e5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c6 (d4·15)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f7 (f3·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c6 (e5·17)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 3: bishop to f8 (h6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: rook to d7 (d1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 3: rook to e8 (e1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 3: queen to e6 (e3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 3: rook to b5 (a5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: queen to e4 (f4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: bishop to a7 (b6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to d7 (b5·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: rook to b7 (c7·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 2: queen to h8 (h6·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: king to d2 (c1·23)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: pawn to c6 (c5·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: queen to h5 (d5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 2: rook to a8 (a7·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to c4 (e6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 636 →