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The 1000-day course

Day 959: Quiet move

Target rating: 1866

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: pawn to g7 (g6·12)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: bishop to c4 (d3·11)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: bishop to h5 (g6·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: queen to e3 (g1)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: bishop to f6 (c3·8)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: pawn to e7 (e6·24)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: rook to a3 (c3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: bishop to b3 (c2·2)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: pawn to d7 (d6·19)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: queen to c6 (a8·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Winning blow: bishop to f2 (g3·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: bishop to h5 (g4·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: queen to d5 (d6·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: pawn to f7 (f6·22)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: rook to f7 (f8·9)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: pawn to a5 (a4·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: queen to g4 (f4·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: pawn to h3 (h2·6)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: bishop to e5 (c3·10)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: knight to b4 (d3·9)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to e7 (b4·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: knight to g4 (e5·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: queen to h6 (g5·3)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: rook to c1 (f1·7)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to c7 (c5·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Winning blow: rook to a7 (a1·11)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to f6 (h5·10)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Mate in 3: queen to b6 (c5·5)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Winning blow: pawn to h4 (h2·4)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Winning blow: knight to c5 (b3·18)Analysis
a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

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