Day 843: Mate in 2
Target rating: 1796
Lesson of the day
Mate in two: your move, any reply, then the mating blow. Start with the most forcing first moves — checks and sacrifices that shrink the opponent's options to almost nothing. Against every single reply you must have a mate ready, so check them all without exception. The common failure is analyzing the pretty defense and forgetting the boring one.
Warm-up
1. Mate in 3: queen to b3 (b1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 2: queen to b3 (a2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e6 (e3·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: king to e2Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: queen to a4 (c2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 2: rook to c1 (e1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: knight to e6 (g5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: queen to c4 (a4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: queen to d6 (a3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: pawn to d3 (c2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 2: bishop to c4 (d5)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: queen to h8 (h7·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: discovered attack on f6 (e4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: rook to f6 (f1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: knight to h3 (g5·3)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: knight to d4 (c2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: rook to d7 (d5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: king to e2 (f2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: queen to h6 (h8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: knight to c4 (e3·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: pawn to g7 (h6·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: rook to f8 (b8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: queen to f5 (c2·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: bishop to g6 (f5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to e6 (g8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 844 →