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The 1000-day course

Day 737: Check chase

Target rating: 1586

Lesson of the day

In a check chase every one of your moves is a check, so the opponent never gets a free second. The king is herded across the board until it loses a piece or walks into a decisive blow. Such lines are the easiest to calculate: each check allows only a handful of replies, so try them all. Make it a habit to start calculating any sharp position with the checks — they are the most forcing moves on the board.

Warm-up

1. Winning blow: queen to g6 (f6·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: queen to f7 (a2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: queen to f6 (a1·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: knight to b6 (c4·14)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: knight to d6 (f7·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: queen to c3 (f3·7)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to b6 (a7·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: rook to d6 (d1·21)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to b8 (a7·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: pawn to d7 (d6·8)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Winning blow: rook to b3 (f3·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: rook to a8 (a1·12)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: pawn to f4 (g3·18)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: queen to g7 (g6·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: bishop to b5 (c6·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 3: bishop to b5 (c4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: bishop to e6 (d7)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 3: rook to g4 (h4·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: pawn to d6 (d5·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 3: knight to e6 (c5·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 3: queen to d6 (d5·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 3: queen to g4 (d4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 2: knight to c5 (a4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 2: rook to d7 (d1·7)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 3: rook to d7 (d1·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to f7 (b3·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Discovered attack: rook to g5Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Winning blow: king to b1 (b2·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Discovered attack: rook to e8 (e2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Winning blow: queen to c6 (c4·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

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