Day 640: Check chase
Target rating: 1430
Lesson of the day
In a check chase every one of your moves is a check, so the opponent never gets a free second. The king is herded across the board until it loses a piece or walks into a decisive blow. Such lines are the easiest to calculate: each check allows only a handful of replies, so try them all. Make it a habit to start calculating any sharp position with the checks — they are the most forcing moves on the board.
Warm-up
1. Mate in 2: queen to a8 (a6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 2: queen to g8 (d5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 2: queen to e7 (e6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 2: queen to e7 (e2·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: queen to d6 (f6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 2: queen to f6 (h8·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 2: queen to e5 (d5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: queen to e6 (c8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 2: rook to g8 (g3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to g7 (f5·19)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d6 (d3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e7 (d5·20)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Fork: queen to f6 (f4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Fork: queen to f6 (f5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Fork: queen to d3 (e3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to c7 (f4·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: rook to c6 (c1·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to g6 (b1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to b3 (b2·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Fork: rook to b1Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h7 (b1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: bishop to h5 (d1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 2: rook to h7 (h3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Double attack: bishop to e6Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: rook to a6 (e6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 641 →