Day 863: Quiet move
Target rating: 1826
Lesson of the day
A quiet move gives no check and takes nothing — yet it decides the game by creating an unstoppable threat or stealing the king's last square. This is the hardest class of moves: the eye hunts for loud blows while a modest shift does the winning. The clue: every forcing try runs into a defense, so seek the move that strengthens the threat or takes squares away. Train yourself to ask: what if I neither capture nor check, but quietly improve?
Warm-up
1. Mate in 3: rook to e1 (h1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: king to g2 (f1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: queen to d8 (g5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: bishop to e6 (f7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to d6 (d4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: king to e3Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to c7 (c4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: queen to b8 (a8·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: queen to g4 (e4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: king to e4Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 3: queen to b6 (g1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: rook to e8 (e1·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 3: bishop to b6 (d4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: rook to d5 (d8·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Discovered attack: rook to g3 (c3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Fork: knight to c6 (e5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Fork: queen to a8 (d5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 3: rook to c6 (d6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 3: rook to f7 (g7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 3: queen to h7 (e7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Fork: queen to b2Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 3: queen to h5 (h4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 3: rook to b6 (b1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 3: queen to a6 (d3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: knight to e6 (d4·25)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 864 →