Day 974: Quiet move
Target rating: 2055
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. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f7 (f1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to c7 (b6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Chess960 tactic on d6 (c7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Chess960 tactic on e7 (e5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Chess960 tactic on a7 (e3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Chess960 tactic on e6 (c8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Chess960 tactic on b6 (d6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Chess960 tactic on d7 (d1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Chess960 tactic on d8 (d6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Chess960 tactic on e7 (e3·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: bishop to f6 (d4·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: knight to e7 (g6·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: bishop to f4 (e3·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: queen to g4 (g7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: queen to g4 (c4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Chess960 tactic on d7 (g7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to b6 (c5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Chess960 tactic on h7 (h4·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Chess960 tactic on f4 (c7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Chess960 tactic on f7 (d7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: rook to b1 (a1·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: rook to b1 (c1·14)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: pawn to f8 (f7·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Chess960 tactic on d7 (e6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: rook to d6 (c6·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 975 →