Day 890: Quiet move
Target rating: 1893
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: bishop to h5 (f3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: rook to b7 (b5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: rook to d8 (c8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to e7 (g7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: rook to g8 (g1·17)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: rook to d7 (d1·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to g5 (h6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: rook to b7 (b5·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: pawn to f6 (e5·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: rook to d7 (d1·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b7 (a7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to a7 (a1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to d3 (g3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to g3 (f3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: bishop to e4 (c2·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Fork: knight to a4Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
17. Fork: queen to g7Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to d5 (f7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: discovered attack on f5Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Fork: bishop to d4 (e5·4)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
21. Fork: bishop to d6 (b4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 3: queen to e7 (d6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Fork: queen to b5Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to e6 (e3·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 3: queen to b6 (e3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
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