Day 846: Counter-strike
Target rating: 1796
Lesson of the day
The counter-strike: instead of defending against the threat, you answer with a bigger threat of your own. While your opponent grabs a pawn, you deliver mate — the arithmetic favors you. Look for a counter when direct defenses fail: do you have a check, an attack on the queen, a mating threat? The beginner's error is meeting every threat with a reflexive defense without checking the counterattacking resources first.
Warm-up
1. Mate in 2: bishop to e5 (c7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: queen to e6 (f5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: rook to c7 (c1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: queen to b7 (b1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: bishop to e6 (g4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to f8 (g7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: queen to f7 (h7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: queen to c7 (e5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to g5 (c1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: knight to d6 (b5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: pawn to b5 (c4·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: rook to f7 (f1·19)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: bishop to c6 (h1·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: bishop to c6 (a8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: pawn to b3 (c2·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: rook to b6 (a6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: queen to c8 (c7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to e4 (c4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: queen to d4 (c3·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: queen to e8 (h5·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to c8 (d8·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: rook to d8 (d1·30)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: bishop to e6 (d5·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to e7 (e6·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to h8 (h4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 847 →