Day 691: Mate in 2
Target rating: 1496
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: knight to c6 (d4·14)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: queen to d8 (e7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: bishop to b7 (h1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: queen to e6 (a2·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: rook to d7 (c7·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: queen to c7 (b6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to g7 (c3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: queen to d7 (c7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to b7 (a8·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: bishop to g7 (e5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 2: queen to f6 (c3·7)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: queen to g7 (h6·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: double attack on g5Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: bishop to e6 (c8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: rook to h8 (h7·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 2: queen to g6 (d3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: queen to d6 (d5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 2: queen to c7 (b6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: knight to d5 (c3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 2: pawn to f5 (f4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 2: queen to c5 (c2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 2: queen to f5 (h7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 2: knight to c6 (e5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 2: queen to d8 (h4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: queen to d7 (e7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
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