Day 958: Mate in 3
Target rating: 2014
Lesson of the day
Mate in three is a forced staircase: each of your moves narrows the opponent's choices, and the third one ends the game. Look for the start among checks and sacrifices — quiet first moves are rare in mating problems, but deliciously sneaky. Keep the tree in your head: every defense gets its own branch. Do not stop calculating after move two — see the final mating picture with your own eyes.
Warm-up
1. Winning blow: rook to a1 (c1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: knight to d5 (c3·19)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: rook to a3 (a1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: queen to c6 (h6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: queen to a8 (a5·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: rook to b1 (f1·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to e6 (d7·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: rook to h1 (g1·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: rook to f1 (h1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: queen to d5 (f7·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Mate in 3: pawn to b5 (b4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to g7 (d4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 3: queen to a5 (e1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 3: queen to b7 (e4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to d5 (a8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: king to h2 (h1·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: bishop to d5 (c4·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: rook to h4 (h1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: knight to b5 (c3·26)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: rook to g1 (f1·10)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to e7 (c7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: queen to g7 (d4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: pawn to e6 (e5·18)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: rook to g8 (d8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: pawn to h7 (h6·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 959 →