Day 907: Mate in 3
Target rating: 1911
Lesson of the day
Mate in three is a forced staircase: each of your moves narrows the opponent's choices, and the third one ends the game. Look for the start among checks and sacrifices — quiet first moves are rare in mating problems, but deliciously sneaky. Keep the tree in your head: every defense gets its own branch. Do not stop calculating after move two — see the final mating picture with your own eyes.
Warm-up
1. Mate in 3: rook to b7 (b1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: rook to f7 (f1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: knight to d5 (c3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: rook to f7 (f3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: rook to b7 (b1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: knight to g5 (f7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: knight to f5 (e3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: queen to d4 (a1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: rook to h6 (h3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e7 (e2·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to a6 (a5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: pawn to d6 (d5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 3: bishop to g6 (h5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 3: bishop to a2 (b1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 3: queen to c5 (c3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 3: rook to e8 (e3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 3: queen to f6 (a1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 3: queen to e8 (d8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 3: queen to e7 (e5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 3: rook to e8 (e6·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 3: queen to g6 (g3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 3: queen to d6 (b6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 3: rook to c6 (c1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 3: rook to g7 (f7·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 3: queen to f6 (h6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 908 →