Day 935: Quiet move
Target rating: 1981
Lesson of the day
A quiet move gives no check and takes nothing — yet it decides the game by creating an unstoppable threat or stealing the king's last square. This is the hardest class of moves: the eye hunts for loud blows while a modest shift does the winning. The clue: every forcing try runs into a defense, so seek the move that strengthens the threat or takes squares away. Train yourself to ask: what if I neither capture nor check, but quietly improve?
Warm-up
1. Winning blow: queen to b4 (d2·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: rook to b7 (b1·14)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: queen to a7 (g1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: rook to b3 (a3·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: queen to f7 (b3·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: queen to e5 (a1·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: king to e4 (d3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: knight to g5 (f7·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to d2 (b2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: rook to g7 (g1·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: queen to g7 (h6·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: bishop to e5 (f4·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to b7 (b6·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: bishop to c1 (a3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: queen to h6 (f6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: rook to d6 (d4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: rook to e7 (e1·30)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: rook to g3 (g1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: rook to g1 (f1·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: pawn to d7 (d6·18)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: rook to f7 (f2·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: knight to g4 (f2·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: pawn to f7 (f6·18)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: knight to g5 (e4·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: king to d4 (e3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 936 →