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The 1000-day course

Day 828: Long-range opener

Target rating: 1763

Lesson of the day

The long-range opener: a bishop, rook or queen strikes across the whole board straight from its starting area. In Chess960 the long-range pieces sit on unfamiliar squares, and a single pawn move can uncover a shot deep into the enemy camp. In the opening, trace with your eyes the diagonals and files of every long-range piece — yours and theirs. The mistake is pushing a pawn without checking whose line you have just opened.

Warm-up

1. Mate in 3: knight to e7 (d5·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: bishop to f5 (e4·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: queen to a7 (a5·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: queen to e6 (f7·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: rook to d8 (d1·9)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: rook to e4 (e3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: rook to c8 (c1·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: knight to c5 (d3·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: king to f2 (f3)Analysis
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White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to b7 (a5·29)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d8 (d5·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: queen to h8 (b2·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 3: queen to h7 (h4·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to a6 (e2·7)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b7 (h1·27)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Fork: knight to e8 (f6·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 3: knight to b7 (a5·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 3: queen to d8 (c7·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 3: rook to e7 (e5·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 3: rook to h8 (h1·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 3: queen to a5 (d2·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to f6 (d7)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 3: queen to a6 (b5·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 3: rook to b2Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 3: queen to e8 (c6·3)Analysis
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White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Mate in 3: rook to h4 (d4·2)Analysis
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White to move — find the best continuation
27. Discovered attack: pawn to e3Analysis
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Black to move — find the best continuation
28. Deflection: bishop to h7 (e4)Analysis
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White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Mate in 3: rook to f4 (f1·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Mate in 2: knight to c5 (d7·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 829 →