Day 687: Quiet move
Target rating: 1489
Lesson of the day
A quiet move gives no check and takes nothing — yet it decides the game by creating an unstoppable threat or stealing the king's last square. This is the hardest class of moves: the eye hunts for loud blows while a modest shift does the winning. The clue: every forcing try runs into a defense, so seek the move that strengthens the threat or takes squares away. Train yourself to ask: what if I neither capture nor check, but quietly improve?
Warm-up
1. Mate in 2: queen to c7 (b8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 2: rook to h7 (h8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 2: knight to f6 (e4·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 2: queen to g8 (d8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 2: queen to c7 (b8·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: queen to e6 (e1·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b7 (g2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: knight to c6 (d4·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to g8 (g6·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: rook to h4 (h3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: pawn to g5 (g4·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: queen to d7 (d3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Trap the bishop on c7Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Trap the bishop on g4Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
15. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to b5 (c3·21)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Fork: rook to f3Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: rook to h7 (h3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 1: queen to h7 (g6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: rook to g8 (g6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b6 (f2·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 2: queen to f5 (c2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: queen to d5 (c5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 2: queen to g5 (c1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to c7 (a5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: queen to b6 (b2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 688 →