Day 842: Corner mate
Target rating: 1796
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: knight to f8Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to d8 (d6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: bishop to c1 (b2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: pawn to b7 (a6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: queen to d4 (c3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: knight to c6 (a5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: pawn to g7 (f6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: queen to f7 (h5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: rook to h7 (h5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 2: bishop to d6 (c5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 3: queen to f6 (g5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: bishop to g7 (b2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 3: rook to h6 (h1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 3: king to g6 (h5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 3: pin on b6Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: pawn to d6 (e5·17)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: queen to a7 (g1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to e8 (e6·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: pawn to e6 (f5·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: knight to f7 (d6·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to d6 (c5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: rook to e7 (e6·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: queen to a8 (a7·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: rook to e8 (e1·22)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: bishop to f7 (a2·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 843 →