Day 865: Save the piece
Target rating: 1831
Lesson of the day
Saving the piece: one of your pieces is attacked, and the job is not to lose it for nothing. There are several tools: retreat with tempo, defend it, block the attack, or create a bigger counter-threat. Before retreating automatically, look for a retreat that attacks something — you save the piece and gain time in one move. The typical mistake is panicking onto the first available square, where the piece gets trapped again.
Warm-up
1. Mate in 3: queen to h6 (e3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: queen to d8 (h4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: queen to e8 (g6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: bishop to f1Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: knight to d6 (e4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: bishop to e4 (c2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: pawn to e8 (e7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: pawn to g6 (h5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: rook to g8 (g1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: rook to c1 (e1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Rescue the rook to f2Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
12. Rescue the rook to d5Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Win the hanging king on g7 (g8)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Fork: king to h8Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
15. Win the hanging bishop on e5Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
16. Fork: queen to e3Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
17. Pin: knight to c5 (a4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to e4 (e1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: knight to d6 (b5·19)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: rook to c8 (c6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to e6 (e3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 3: knight to e8 (f6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 3: rook to h8 (h4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 3: rook to f6 (f7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 3: queen to g5 (h4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 866 →