Day 956: Quiet move
Target rating: 2009
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: rook to d7 (d1·25)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: rook to d6 (d1·27)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: queen to g1 (h1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: knight to e5 (d3·24)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: queen to g5 (g8·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: queen to d7 (d2·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: pawn to b7 (b6·15)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: king to f2 (e1·20)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to c5 (e3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: pawn to c3 (c2·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: rook to b5 (b6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: queen to g6 (g3·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: knight to c7 (e6·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: queen to c6 (c5·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: queen to g7 (c3·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: queen to c5 (g1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: queen to f6 (f2·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: pawn to f7 (f6·21)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: king to d1 (e1·18)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: rook to g3 (f3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to g2 (b2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: knight to d4 (c2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: queen to e2 (h5·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to h8 (h4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to b8 (c7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 957 →