Day 885: Mate in 4+
Target rating: 1881
Lesson of the day
Mate in four or longer is a marathon of forcing moves where the grip must never loosen. The tools are the same: checks, double threats and sacrifices that deny the opponent a single free tempo. Do not juggle the whole tree at once — walk the main line all the way to mate first, then verify the side branches. If somewhere the defender finds one quiet move that holds, your very first move was wrong.
Warm-up
1. Mate in 3: queen to b7 (a7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: pawn to f6 (f5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: knight to a5 (b3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: knight to c7 (d5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: knight to d6 (c4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: queen to f6 (a1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: knight to c8 (b6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: bishop to e4 (d3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to f8 (f1·23)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: queen to a7 (h7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Chess960 tactic on d6Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Chess960 tactic on f5 (e5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to a2 (b1·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Chess960 tactic on b6Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Chess960 tactic on c1Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: rook to e7 (e3·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: king to f2 (g2·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: rook to a3 (a1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: rook to b6 (b5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: queen to e5 (d5·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to b7 (e4·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: queen to d6 (b4·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: rook to c3 (b3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: pawn to e6 (f5·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to f8 (b8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 886 →