Day 639: Two-bishop mate
Target rating: 1428
Lesson of the day
The two-bishop mate rakes two adjacent diagonals: one bishop mates while the other seals off the escape squares. The bishops complement each other perfectly — living on opposite colors, together they cover an unbroken strip of the board. The pattern usually appears at the edge or in the corner where the king was pressed beforehand. Treasure the bishop pair until the attack comes — on an open board two adjacent diagonals become a solid wall.
Warm-up
1. Mate in 2: queen to c6 (a6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 2: queen to d8 (d7·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 2: rook to a6 (a4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 2: queen to b7 (a8·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 2: queen to c8 (c2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 2: queen to g7 (b2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 2: queen to f6 (d6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to g8 (g6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 2: queen to e7 (e5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 2: queen to d8 (d7·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to e6 (d7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: rook to b7 (b5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: pawn to b4 (b5)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: bishop to f7 (g8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: rook to b8 (b6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: knight to e5 (f7·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: bishop to c6 (g2·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 2: rook to b5 (b4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: rook to c7 (c8·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h8 (h4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 2: queen to h8 (h6·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: rook to h1 (g1·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Fork: rook to b2Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to b5 (b4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: queen to d1 (d2)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 640 →