Day 803: Corner mate
Target rating: 1701
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. Mate in 3: queen to c6 (c2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: queen to a8 (a7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: bishop to b6 (a5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: knight to g5 (e4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: queen to e6 (e5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: queen to c8 (e6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: rook to b8 (h8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: queen to d8 (d4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: rook to b3 (d3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: queen to f6 (e7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 2: deflection on h8Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: rook to h6 (h4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: fork on f2 (h4)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: queen to e8 (f7·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: pawn to h7 (h6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 2: queen to b8 (a8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: pin on h5Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 2: queen to h8 (h4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Trap the pawn on g6Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
20. Fork: bishop to d5 (e6)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
21. Pin: queen to f6 (e6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 3: queen to h4 (e7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 3: queen to f7 (f6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 2: knight to d5 (c7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 3: knight to g6 (h4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 804 →