Day 704: Corner mate
Target rating: 1503
Lesson of the day
The corner mate catches a king driven into the corner, where it has only three neighboring squares — all of them taken away or blocked. The corner is the worst home for a king, because the attacker needs to control the fewest squares there. Herd the king toward the corner with checks and never let it slip back toward the center. Cut off the escape routes before the final check, and the mate practically assembles itself.
Warm-up
1. Winning blow: knight to c6 (a7·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: queen to d6 (g6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: knight to e6 (d4·18)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: queen to g7 (h6·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: queen to f6 (f3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: rook to e1 (d1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: rook to b7 (c7·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: bishop to b5 (c4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f7 (f5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: queen to e3 (d4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 3: queen to d8 (d1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: rook to f3 (f1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 3: queen to h6Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 3: pawn to b7 (a6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 3: queen to f7 (d7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 2: queen to d7 (c6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: rook to e8 (e1·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 2: knight to b6 (d5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: queen to d7 (e6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 2: bishop to a7 (e3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 2: queen to h7 (h6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 2: queen to h6 (f6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 2: queen to f6 (a1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 2: knight to a6 (c5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: queen to a6 (f1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 705 →