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The 1000-day course

Day 942: Only move

Target rating: 1996

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 c6 (e8·6)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: rook to g8 (h8·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: queen to e6 (e2·10)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: rook to d7 (a7·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: queen to b6 (b5·8)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: rook to h7 (g7·8)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to f7 (e8·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: queen to e7 (e3·8)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to f6 (h8·9)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: queen to c6 (a8·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 3: pin on e1Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 1: pin on g5Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 3: queen to h1Analysis
h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 3: rook to f8 (f1·9)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 3: rook to g6 (f6)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Discovered attack: knight to d6Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Discovered attack: knight to f6 (e4·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Fork: queen to f6 (d4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: bishop to d6 (g3·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: queen to e8 (d7·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to b6 (e3·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: queen to e8 (h8·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: rook to d8 (d7·8)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to e5 (b5·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 3: pin on h8Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Winning blow: pawn to f8 (f7·12)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Discovered attack: knight to d4 (c6)Analysis
h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
Black to move — find the best continuation
28. Rescue the pawn to g5Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Winning blow: knight to d6 (b5·20)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Chess960 tactic on h8Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 943 →