Day 644: Mate in 2
Target rating: 1282
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 f7 (d5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: queen to e6 (c8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: queen to e7 (f8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: queen to a7 (a5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e6 (a6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: rook to g7 (f7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to g4 (h4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: rook to h6 (f6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: rook to f7 (f5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: rook to c4 (c7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 2: rook to d7 (d4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: queen to f7 (g8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to a7 (g1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: queen to c6 (c5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: queen to a6 (g6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e8 (e4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c6 (d4·18)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 2: queen to f8 (f2·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: queen to d8 (d5·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 2: queen to h7 (h5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 2: knight to e7 (f5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 2: queen to c7 (c3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 2: queen to e8 (e4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d7 (f5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: queen to b6 (a5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 645 →