Day 683: Check chase
Target rating: 1483
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. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to f7 (d5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: queen to h8 (h3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: bishop to f7 (c4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: queen to e6 (b3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: queen to d6 (a3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b7 (b5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to c7 (h2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e6 (e2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to g5 (g4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: queen to f8 (f3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: queen to f6 (f3·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: queen to b7 (b4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: rook to d8 (d4·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: rook to g4 (h4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: rook to b4 (a4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Fork: knight to e7 (d5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: knight to d4 (f3·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e5 (c6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: bishop to a2 (b1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to g7 (b2·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: knight to c5 (b3·14)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 2: queen to f1 (b5·2)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
23. Fork: rook to e2 (g2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 3: rook to h2 (h3)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: knight to e5 (g4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 684 →