Day 712: Quiet move
Target rating: 1523
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. Winning blow: rook to d2 (d1·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to f1 (f5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: queen to a3 (b4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to g3 (g4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: queen to d2 (f2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: bishop to e5 (d6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to f1 (f2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: rook to d1 (d6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: knight to h5 (f4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: queen to b3 (b1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: knight to d6 (c4·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: queen to c6 (h1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: rook to b1 (c1·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: queen to f7 (c4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e5 (f3·21)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: king to a2 (b1·44)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to f2 (e3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e5 (e4·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to a3 (b3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: rook to a6 (a8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: pawn to a4 (a3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: pawn to e3 (e2·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: knight to g5 (f3·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: king to c2 (b1·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: rook to b3 (c3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 713 →