Day 988: Winning blow
Target rating: 2092
Lesson of the day
A winning blow is a forced material gain that does not fit a single textbook motif. The general tactical recipe applies: spot loose pieces, an awkwardly placed king, overloaded lines. Go through the forcing moves in order of violence — checks, captures, threats — because most combinations start with one of them. Do not judge by feel: calculate the concrete line until the outcome is beyond doubt.
Warm-up
1. Pin: knight to h2Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
2. Deflection: rook to d4 (d6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Fork: knight to g3 (e2·2)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
4. Fork: rook to c3 (e3)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
5. Pin: queen to f6 (f3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 2: queen to g2 (g3)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
7. Win the hanging king on c7Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
8. Fork: queen to e3 (g3·2)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
9. Rescue the pawn to b6 (b5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Rescue the queen to g5Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Pin: rook to d5 (d4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: queen to f6 (f3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Rescue the queen to d4Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Win the hanging king on h7 (g8·3)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
15. Fork: queen to h5 (d1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: knight to d4 (c2·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: pawn to d3 (d2·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: bishop to d5 (h1·21)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Trap the queen on c7Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d8 (d3·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Chess960 tactic on c4 (c1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Chess960 tactic on d4 (b3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Chess960 tactic on g8 (g7·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Chess960 tactic on c6 (b5·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Chess960 tactic on g8 (e8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 989 →