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The 1000-day course

Day 862: Promotion

Target rating: 1823

Lesson of the day

Promotion turns a pawn on the last rank into a queen and rewrites the evaluation on the spot. In tactics the passer rarely walks in for free — usually a sacrifice clears its path. Count the tempi: how many moves does the pawn need, and can the defender stop it in time? And watch the promotion square itself — it must be out of enemy reach or won by force in your combination.

Warm-up

1. Mate in 3: pawn to g6 (f5·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: queen to f7 (e6)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: rook to c8 (f8·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: rook to d8 (d1·8)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: rook to h8 (h6·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: queen to f5 (e4·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: queen to h8 (c3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: queen to g8 (h7·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: pawn to b7 (a6·4)Analysis
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White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: queen to h8 (a1)Analysis
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White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Winning blow: pawn to h8 (h7·6)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: pawn to b8 (b7·16)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: pawn to h8 (h7·7)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: pawn to h8 (h7·8)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: pawn to f8 (f7·7)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to g5 (d2·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 3: rook to g7 (g1·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 3: queen to b3 (b8)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 3: knight to d7 (e5·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d6 (b4·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 3: bishop to d5 (c4·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: queen to c6 (b6·9)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 3: queen to h6 (g6·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 3: rook to e8 (e1·10)Analysis
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White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: rook to d7 (d6·8)Analysis
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White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Mate in 2: knight to g8 (f6)Analysis
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White to move — find the best continuation
27. Winning blow: rook to g4 (g1·8)Analysis
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White to move — find the best continuation
28. Winning blow: queen to g3 (e1·6)Analysis
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White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Mate in 3: queen to g3 (e1)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Winning blow: queen to e4 (d4·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 863 →