Day 721: Counter-strike
Target rating: 1396
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. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to b5 (c4·33)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: rook to a6 (a1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: rook to f8 (f1·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: rook to a8 (e8·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to e7 (e1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: bishop to f8 (h6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: rook to e8 (e7·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: queen to d6 (e7·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: rook to c1 (h1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: queen to f8 (f7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: pawn to e4 (d3·15)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: knight to h6 (f5·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: bishop to f6 (g5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: rook to g7 (g1·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to c8 (b7·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: rook to d7 (e7·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to b8 (b1·21)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to a7 (c5·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: knight to g6 (e5·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: rook to d6 (e6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to d7 (d2·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: queen to g7 (h7·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: rook to g7 (e7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to b6 (b5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to d6 (g3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 722 →