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The 1000-day course

Day 917: Only move

Target rating: 1786

Lesson of the day

An only move is a position where everything loses except one single continuation. You cannot play "by hand" here: run through fundamentally different defenses — run away, block, trade, counterattack — and discard the ones that fail. The hallmark of these puzzles is that the obvious moves lose quickly while the solution often looks strange. First understand exactly what the threat is — then the one saving move reveals itself.

Warm-up

1. Winning blow: queen to c7 (e5·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: bishop to c6 (a8·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: queen to d8 (f6·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: rook to h8 (h1·12)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: rook to e3 (e1·14)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: knight to d7 (c5·21)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: rook to h6 (h4·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: queen to g6 (h5·8)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to d8 (e7·7)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: rook to d8 (c8·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Win the hanging rook on d1Analysis
h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
Black to move — find the best continuation
12. Deflection: rook to b6Analysis
h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
Black to move — find the best continuation
13. Fork: bishop to b3Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 3: bishop to f7 (c4·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Win the hanging queen on a8 (d5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: bishop to b6 (d4·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: pawn to d5 (e4·23)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: rook to e8 (e1·26)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: queen to f5 (h3·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: queen to g7 (h7·9)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: bishop to h4 (g3·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: queen to b6 (g1·6)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: rook to b7 (b8·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: rook to f5 (f1·13)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: bishop to c6 (f3·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Fork: rook to d4 (d5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Winning blow: queen to g7 (g3·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Winning blow: rook to b7 (b1·15)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Winning blow: queen to g6 (g3·10)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Winning blow: pawn to f6 (g5·19)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 918 →