Day 859: Blocking save
Target rating: 1816
Lesson of the day
The blocking save: you interpose a piece against the check — not passively, but with tempo, so the blocker creates a threat of its own. Such a block turns defense into attack. Whenever you are checked, compare all three replies — capture, move the king, interpose — and among the interpositions hunt for the one that counterattacks. The mistake is automatically stepping aside with the king when an active block would have turned the game around.
Warm-up
1. Mate in 3: bishop to g4 (d1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: queen to e6 (g6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: queen to d4 (f4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: queen to e5 (d4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: queen to a5 (c5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: queen to e8 (f7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: queen to c4 (f4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: bishop to b5 (f1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: queen to c3 (b2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 2: bishop to e6 (f5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: knight to c3 (e4·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: rook to c2 (c1·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: bishop to f1 (b5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to b2 (d4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: pawn to c3 (c2·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 3: queen to f6 (b2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 3: rook to a7 (a1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 3: rook to b7 (d7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 3: queen to b8 (a7·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 3: rook to h8 (h7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d6 (g3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 3: pawn to h6 (g5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: queen to c8 (h3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 3: queen to h7 (h4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: knight to d7 (e5·21)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 860 →