Day 878: Absolute pin
Target rating: 1863
Lesson of the day
An absolute pin freezes a piece on the line between its own king and your long-range attacker: moving it is simply illegal. The pattern is three units on one straight line — your bishop, rook or queen, an enemy piece, and the enemy king behind it. A pinned piece neither attacks nor defends anything: treat it as if it were off the board. Pile up on it, ideally with a pawn, because running away is against the rules.
Warm-up
1. Mate in 3: rook to f8 (f1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: knight to g6 (f4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: queen to e7 (e4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b5 (e2·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: rook to d5 (d1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: pawn to f5 (e4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: knight to b5 (c3·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: knight to b6 (a4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: rook to e1 (f1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: rook to h7 (h5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 3: pawn to d7 (d6·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: knight to b5 (c3·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 3: bishop to e4 (c6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 3: rook to d3 (g3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 3: knight to b6 (d5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Fork: knight to c5 (d3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: rook to e7 (e3·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to d8 (d7·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: rook to a7 (a8·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: knight to c5 (b3·17)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: bishop to a3 (c1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: rook to c4 (c1·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: pawn to h6 (h5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to b7 (b5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to a5 (a6·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 879 →