Open in the app

The 1000-day course

Day 922: Promotion

Target rating: 1948

Lesson of the day

Promotion turns a pawn on the last rank into a queen and rewrites the evaluation on the spot. In tactics the passer rarely walks in for free — usually a sacrifice clears its path. Count the tempi: how many moves does the pawn need, and can the defender stop it in time? And watch the promotion square itself — it must be out of enemy reach or won by force in your combination.

Warm-up

1. Winning blow: queen to f4 (f3·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: queen to d6 (g3·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: queen to h8 (b8·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: queen to f8 (h8)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: rook to e8 (h8·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: rook to f7 (f1·20)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to h6 (g5·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: rook to d8 (e8·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: rook to d8 (d1·31)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: rook to d6 (d5·7)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Winning blow: pawn to e8 (e7·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: pawn to f8 (f7·11)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: pawn to g8 (g7·6)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Fork: pawn to c2Analysis
h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
Black to move — find the best continuation
15. Rescue the king to f2Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Fork: pawn to e6 (e5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Fork: knight to h5 (f4)Analysis
h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
Black to move — find the best continuation
18. Fork: queen to f2 (b6)Analysis
h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
Black to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 3: king to h3Analysis
h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
Black to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 3: rook to g6 (g7)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 3: rook to f6 (f5·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 3: pawn to d6 (e5·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: queen to a7 (a4·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 3: knight to h7Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Fork: knight to d5 (c3·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Mate in 2: knight to b4 (c6)Analysis
h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
Black to move — find the best continuation
27. Mate in 3: queen to c6 (g2·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Discovered attack: pawn to e3 (f2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Winning blow: pawn to f7 (f6·23)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d8 (d4·7)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 923 →