Day 852: Only move
Target rating: 1798
Lesson of the day
An only move is a position where everything loses except one single continuation. You cannot play "by hand" here: run through fundamentally different defenses — run away, block, trade, counterattack — and discard the ones that fail. The hallmark of these puzzles is that the obvious moves lose quickly while the solution often looks strange. First understand exactly what the threat is — then the one saving move reveals itself.
Warm-up
1. Mate in 3: knight to d7 (e5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: queen to e7 (e8·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: queen to b8 (a7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: pawn to e3 (d2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: queen to c4 (d4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: pawn to b4 (b2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: pawn to d6 (e5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to a6 (f1·15)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: knight to e6 (c7·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: king to b1 (a2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 2: queen to h7 (f5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: queen to a5 (c7)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: queen to g6 (e4·7)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 3: rook to g8 (e8·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: queen to f7 (d7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 2: queen to f5 (c2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: knight to f6 (d7·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Fork: bishop to d4 (f6·2)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
19. Fork: queen to d4 (d8·3)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
20. Fork: queen to f1 (d3)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
21. Fork: bishop to f4 (h6)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
22. Fork: queen to e5 (e2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Fork: king to e3Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: pawn to e7 (d6·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: rook to a5 (a1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 853 →