Day 873: Counter-strike
Target rating: 1851
Lesson of the day
The counter-strike: instead of defending against the threat, you answer with a bigger threat of your own. While your opponent grabs a pawn, you deliver mate — the arithmetic favors you. Look for a counter when direct defenses fail: do you have a check, an attack on the queen, a mating threat? The beginner's error is meeting every threat with a reflexive defense without checking the counterattacking resources first.
Warm-up
1. Mate in 3: queen to d8 (d7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: pawn to d8 (e7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: queen to a5 (b4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: bishop to f5 (c2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: pawn to g5 (h4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to g5 (c1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b8 (h2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: queen to f6 (g7·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: rook to g6 (h6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d5 (d4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: bishop to c4 (d3·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: knight to e6 (g5·19)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: rook to e1 (a1·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: queen to d8 (a8·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: queen to h5 (h4·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to f7 (e8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: knight to c7 (b5·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 2: queen to b3 (g3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f5 (f4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to b6 (c5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: rook to h4 (h3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: bishop to a7 (b6·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: bishop to d6 (c7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to f6 (g5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Fork: queen to b3 (f3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 874 →