Day 671: Mate in 3
Target rating: 1464
Lesson of the day
Mate in three is a forced staircase: each of your moves narrows the opponent's choices, and the third one ends the game. Look for the start among checks and sacrifices — quiet first moves are rare in mating problems, but deliciously sneaky. Keep the tree in your head: every defense gets its own branch. Do not stop calculating after move two — see the final mating picture with your own eyes.
Warm-up
1. Winning blow: queen to e8 (e5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 2: queen to b8 (b2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: king to h2 (g1·34)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: queen to c8 (d8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 2: queen to c7 (b8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: king to c1 (d1·16)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to c7 (d8·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 2: bishop to b7 (g2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: pawn to b3 (b2·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: knight to e5 (c6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: pawn to h8 (h7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: queen to a7 (c5·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: queen to c4 (h4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: pawn to g3 (h2·15)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to b6 (c5·25)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 2: queen to c8 (c1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: rook to f6 (f3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 2: queen to h7 (h3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: queen to c7 (c2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 2: queen to b7 (a8·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 2: queen to b7 (b2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 2: queen to c8 (g4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 2: queen to h7 (h4·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b7 (a6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: queen to d7 (d4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 672 →