Day 836: Quiet move
Target rating: 1783
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. Mate in 3: queen to f4 (h6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f6 (g5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: pawn to e6 (d5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: bishop to g5 (h6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: knight to e6 (c5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: pawn to b6 (a5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: queen to g6 (g7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h8 (h7·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: queen to c6 (b6·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: pawn to g6 (f5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: knight to c5 (d3·21)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: knight to c3 (e4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: pawn to g5 (g4·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: queen to b7 (e4·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: queen to a7 (e3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: pawn to b6 (a5·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: double attack on d4Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to e6 (d6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: rook to b8 (a8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: pawn to b6 (c5·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: pawn to c8 (d7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: pawn to d4 (c3·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: knight to f7 (e5·14)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: pawn to b6 (c5·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to e5 (e4·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 837 →