Day 825: Counter-strike
Target rating: 1756
Lesson of the day
The counter-strike: instead of defending against the threat, you answer with a bigger threat of your own. While your opponent grabs a pawn, you deliver mate — the arithmetic favors you. Look for a counter when direct defenses fail: do you have a check, an attack on the queen, a mating threat? The beginner's error is meeting every threat with a reflexive defense without checking the counterattacking resources first.
Warm-up
1. Mate in 3: queen to b5 (h5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: queen to a6 (f1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: rook to h2 (h1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: rook to d1 (c1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: queen to e5 (e8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: rook to f1 (f2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: queen to c5 (f8·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to f7 (f1·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: king to h2 (g1·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: knight to e7 (f5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 3: rook to g8 (g1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: queen to b8 (c7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 3: queen to g8 (h7·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 3: queen to c7 (c4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Pin: knight to g6 (h4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 3: bishop to f2 (g1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 3: queen to g6 (d3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 3: queen to f5 (f7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 3: queen to d6 (d2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 3: queen to d6 (c6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b3 (d1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 3: queen to e5 (a1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 3: knight to e8 (g7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 3: knight to h6 (g4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 3: rook to e5 (e1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 826 →