Day 814: Quiet move
Target rating: 1728
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. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to f4 (c1·34)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: bishop to a4 (d1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: bishop to e5 (g3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e5 (c6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: queen to a8 (c6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: queen to f7 (f3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: queen to e7 (c5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to g8 (g1·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: rook to e7 (e5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: queen to g7 (h6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 3: queen to d7 (e7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: rook to c8 (c5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: pawn to f5 (f7)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Trap the bishop on c5Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
15. Pin: rook to d1 (e1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 3: rook to f6 (g6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 3: queen to d8 (d4·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 3: bishop to b6 (e3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 3: queen to c7 (c3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 3: rook to c8 (f8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 3: knight to f7 (d6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 3: queen to g7 (a7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 3: bishop to c5 (e3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d8 (e7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 3: pawn to g6 (h5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 815 →