Day 929: Mate in 4+
Target rating: 1966
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. Winning blow: queen to f4 (h4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: knight to d6 (e4·21)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: pawn to c7 (d6·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: rook to d8 (d6·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: queen to e7 (f8·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: queen to d4 (b2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to f6 (e6·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: queen to e5 (h8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to d5 (c5·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: knight to c5 (d3·19)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Chess960 tactic on a8 (b7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Chess960 tactic on b4Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: rook to e1 (f1·16)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Chess960 tactic on c5 (d6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Chess960 tactic on f5 (d5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: queen to d1 (d2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: rook to d1 (h1·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to b7 (h1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: queen to f6 (c3·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: pawn to c4 (c3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: rook to f7 (f1·23)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: bishop to c3 (d2·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: rook to e1 (h1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to f6 (c3·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to d5 (d3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 930 →