Day 667: Counter-strike
Target rating: 1457
Lesson of the day
The counter-strike: instead of defending against the threat, you answer with a bigger threat of your own. While your opponent grabs a pawn, you deliver mate — the arithmetic favors you. Look for a counter when direct defenses fail: do you have a check, an attack on the queen, a mating threat? The beginner's error is meeting every threat with a reflexive defense without checking the counterattacking resources first.
Warm-up
1. Mate in 2: rook to a8 (a2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 2: queen to d7 (c8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 2: queen to e7 (d7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: queen to f7 (f4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 2: rook to e6 (e8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: knight to d6 (b5·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to e7 (d8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: queen to g8 (g6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 2: queen to e7 (e6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: king to g1 (f1·24)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to a7 (a5·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: rook to h4 (e4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: bishop to f5 (b1·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: pawn to f6 (g5·16)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: bishop to e3 (d4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to f6 (f1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: queen to h8 (c3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 2: queen to e6 (d6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: rook to g7 (g3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 2: knight to f6 (d7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 2: queen to h4 (h3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 2: bishop to b5 (d3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 2: queen to h6 (f8·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 2: rook to f8 (e8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: bishop to c6 (b7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
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