Day 972: Quiet move
Target rating: 2050
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. Fork: pawn to g6 (g5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Fork: rook to e4 (d4)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
3. Chess960 tactic on f2 (g1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: rook to g5 (g7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Win the hanging queen on e6Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Win the hanging rook on h5Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
7. Deflection: knight to f5Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Win the hanging queen on a5 (c7)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 2: rook to f8 (f7·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: queen to f2 (f1·2)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Trap the rook on c4Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Rescue the knight to b5Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: bishop to g3 (f2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: rook to f2 (d2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: knight to d5 (f4·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Fork: pawn to d3Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to f7 (c4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Chess960 tactic on c7 (b6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d7 (c7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 3: discovered attack on d5Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Chess960 tactic on f7 (g7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Chess960 tactic on c5 (a3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Chess960 tactic on b5 (b4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Pin: knight to g4Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
25. Chess960 tactic on c7 (b7·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 973 →