Day 845: Sacrifice attack
Target rating: 1796
Lesson of the day
A sacrificial attack gives up material on purpose to rip the king's shelter open and launch a decisive assault. The sac is sound when you get concrete assets in return: open lines to the king, tempi, pieces ready to pour in. The signs: a poorly sheltered king, your forces aimed at its home, defenders stranded far away. The iron rule is to calculate, not hope — once the material is gone, there is no way back.
Warm-up
1. Mate in 3: pawn to d5Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: queen to f5 (h3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: knight to f8 (e6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: bishop to e3 (f4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: knight to f5 (e3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e8 (g8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: queen to f3 (g4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: queen to f5 (f3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: bishop to f7 (h5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: queen to h8 (e8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Fork: queen to d4 (d2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: bishop to g7 (a1·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to e7 (f7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: rook to f7 (f1·22)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to c8 (c1·21)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: rook to d6 (d1·25)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: rook to f8 (f1·21)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to e5 (d4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: rook to e5 (e1·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: rook to e6 (c6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: bishop to e7 (g5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to b6 (a5·24)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: rook to c6 (c7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to f6 (b6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to c8 (c7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 846 →