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The 1000-day course

Day 778: Promotion

Target rating: 1663

Lesson of the day

Promotion turns a pawn on the last rank into a queen and rewrites the evaluation on the spot. In tactics the passer rarely walks in for free — usually a sacrifice clears its path. Count the tempi: how many moves does the pawn need, and can the defender stop it in time? And watch the promotion square itself — it must be out of enemy reach or won by force in your combination.

Warm-up

1. Mate in 3: queen to e8 (e6)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: rook to e8 (e1)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: bishop to c5 (g1)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: rook to f1 (h1)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: rook to f5Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: bishop to d6 (c5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: queen to c5 (d4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 2: queen to c5 (e3·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: queen to f6 (g7)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: queen to f7 (b3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 3: pawn to f7 (g6)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: pawn to e8 (e7·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: pawn to h8 (g7)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: pawn to e8 (d7)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: pawn to f8 (e7)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Fork: queen to g4 (c4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: bishop to e6 (d5·4)Analysis
h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
Black to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 3: queen to h4 (f4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: discovered attack on f7 (g5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 3: rook to f4 (g4·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 2: pin on f5 (e7)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: bishop to c3 (e1·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: pawn to f3 (f2·10)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: rook to h6 (g6·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to g2 (g4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Mate in 3: bishop to f6 (e5·3)Analysis
h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
Black to move — find the best continuation
27. Mate in 2: discovered attack on f3 (d2·2)Analysis
h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
Black to move — find the best continuation
28. Pin: rook to d6 (d1)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Mate in 3: queen to c5 (f2·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Mate in 3: bishop to c1 (b2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 779 →