Day 713: Sacrifice attack
Target rating: 1526
Lesson of the day
A sacrificial attack gives up material on purpose to rip the king's shelter open and launch a decisive assault. The sac is sound when you get concrete assets in return: open lines to the king, tempi, pieces ready to pour in. The signs: a poorly sheltered king, your forces aimed at its home, defenders stranded far away. The iron rule is to calculate, not hope — once the material is gone, there is no way back.
Warm-up
1. Winning blow: knight to b5 (d6·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: queen to e5 (f4·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e7 (f5·16)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c7 (d6·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: queen to h7 (h6·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: queen to c6 (b6·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: knight to f6 (e4·24)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: queen to g3 (f2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to g7 (f6·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: rook to e8 (e1·20)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 3: bishop to d6 (b4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: knight to b5Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: rook to f1 (d1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: rook to f5 (f1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: bishop to f6 (e5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Pin: knight to f4Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
17. Fork: queen to c4 (e2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to b5 (f1·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: pawn to d7 (d6·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: bishop to c8 (e6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to e1 (f2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to a3 (a1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: queen to d1 (d2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c5 (c4·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c5 (c4·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 714 →