Day 933: Mate in 2
Target rating: 1976
Lesson of the day
Mate in two: your move, any reply, then the mating blow. Start with the most forcing first moves — checks and sacrifices that shrink the opponent's options to almost nothing. Against every single reply you must have a mate ready, so check them all without exception. The common failure is analyzing the pretty defense and forgetting the boring one.
Warm-up
1. Winning blow: bishop to d6 (b4·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to g2 (g1·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: rook to e1 (g1·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: knight to d6 (f5·18)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: rook to f7 (f1·24)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: knight to e5 (f3·19)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: knight to d3 (f4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to a5 (e5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: bishop to f6 (g7·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: pawn to b6 (b5·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 2: pawn to g4 (g2·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: queen to a2 (c4)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: queen to e6 (g6·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: knight to g5 (f3·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: queen to c7 (b8·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: rook to g5 (g7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: pawn to g6 (g5·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to b3 (b2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: pawn to f6 (f5·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: knight to e4 (g3·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to g5 (d2·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: bishop to f5 (b1·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: bishop to e4 (f5·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: bishop to f2 (e1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to e6 (h6·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
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