Day 744: Mate in 3
Target rating: 1596
Lesson of the day
Mate in three is a forced staircase: each of your moves narrows the opponent's choices, and the third one ends the game. Look for the start among checks and sacrifices — quiet first moves are rare in mating problems, but deliciously sneaky. Keep the tree in your head: every defense gets its own branch. Do not stop calculating after move two — see the final mating picture with your own eyes.
Warm-up
1. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e5 (a1·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: knight to c6 (d4·16)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: bishop to f7 (d5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: bishop to d6 (c5·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: bishop to b7 (g2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: queen to e7 (e1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to e6 (h3·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: queen to c5 (b4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to g6 (f6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: rook to d7 (d1·20)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d6 (d1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: queen to c6Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 3: rook to d4Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 3: queen to h8 (g8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 3: rook to e3Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 2: rook to h3 (h2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: rook to c1 (b1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 2: queen to f8 (f5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: queen to d6 (d4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 2: bishop to d6 (b8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to c7 (c2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 3: queen to d7 (c7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 3: queen to b8 (c7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 2: rook to h3 (d3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 3: rook to f4 (f1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
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