Day 742: Corner mate
Target rating: 1446
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: queen to b8 (b3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: pawn to b5 (c4·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: knight to e8 (c7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: pawn to f3 (e2·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: queen to a4 (c2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: queen to e6 (h6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: knight to b6 (c4·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: rook to d6 (d4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: rook to f4 (f2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: queen to a8 (a7·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 3: king to a1 (b1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: rook to f6 (f1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 3: queen to a2 (h2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 3: queen to c3 (a1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 3: pawn to b6 (a5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: queen to c5 (e3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: bishop to h6 (g5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: bishop to e5 (a1·16)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: knight to f5 (e7·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: bishop to g4 (d1·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to f6 (h8·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: rook to g7 (e7·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: bishop to f8 (h6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: rook to c6 (e6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to d5 (f3·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 743 →