Day 788: Quiet move
Target rating: 1688
Lesson of the day
A quiet move gives no check and takes nothing — yet it decides the game by creating an unstoppable threat or stealing the king's last square. This is the hardest class of moves: the eye hunts for loud blows while a modest shift does the winning. The clue: every forcing try runs into a defense, so seek the move that strengthens the threat or takes squares away. Train yourself to ask: what if I neither capture nor check, but quietly improve?
Warm-up
1. Win the hanging bishop on a8Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
2. Win the hanging rook on c4Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Win the hanging queen on a1Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
4. Win the hanging queen on d7Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: knight to d3 (e1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: rook to f6 (e6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to c4 (a4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: queen to g4 (b4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to c5 (c8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: pawn to g4 (g3·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: queen to a6 (f1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Rescue the king to d8Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Pin: rook to d7Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Fork: pawn to f5 (f7·2)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
15. Pin: rook to c8 (d8)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 2: queen to f2 (c5·4)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
17. Fork: queen to c1 (d1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Fork: rook to d7 (d1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 3: queen to h5 (h4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 3: knight to f4 (d5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 3: knight to b5 (d6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 3: rook to g7 (g8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 3: rook to e8 (e1·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 3: pawn to d6 (d5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 3: queen to f6 (e7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 789 →