Day 695: Counter-strike
Target rating: 1496
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. Winning blow: queen to g7 (g5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: knight to g5 (h3·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: bishop to c7 (g3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: pawn to g4 (h3·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: knight to e6 (f4·15)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: rook to b8 (d8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to a8 (d8·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: queen to g3 (f3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to d4 (h8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: queen to b8 (b4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: queen to g6 (c2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h6 (c1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: bishop to c6 (f3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: queen to b6 (f2·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: queen to c8 (h8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c5 (d7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: knight to d8 (f7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 2: bishop to a6 (b5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: queen to g5 (e3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 2: rook to f5 (f1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 2: knight to e7 (g6·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 2: queen to f7 (h7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 2: queen to b5 (b4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 2: queen to f8 (g7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: queen to a6 (b5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 696 →