Day 962: Only move
Target rating: 2024
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: bishop to f6 (a1·17)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: pawn to d7 (d6·20)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: knight to c4 (a5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: pawn to c5 (c4·16)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: queen to e5 (f4·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: knight to d5 (f6·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to e4 (h4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: knight to f4 (h3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: rook to d7 (d5·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: rook to g1 (f1·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Win the hanging rook on d3 (d1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Fork: queen to c4 (c3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Fork: queen to c2 (b3)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Pin: queen to g6 (c6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 3: rook to c3 (d3·2)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: rook to f1 (e1·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: rook to d7 (d8·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to c6 (g2·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: queen to d5 (d1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: queen to h6 (e3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to g7 (g2·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: bishop to e3 (f2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: pawn to e5 (e4·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to e5 (b8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to e7 (d6·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 963 →