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Day 1: Knight fork

Lesson of the day

A fork is one move that attacks two targets at once, and no piece forks better than the knight. Look through the knight's eyes: it jumps in an L and never moves along straight lines, which is exactly why its threats get missed. Both victims of a knight fork always stand on squares of one color, while the knight strikes from the opposite color. Hunt for the square from which the knight hits the king and a heavy piece at once.

Warm-up

1. Mate in 1: rook to e7Shuffle Rating 600Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Fork: bishop to e3Shuffle Rating 600Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 1: queen to h7Shuffle Rating 601Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Back-rank mate in 3 on a8Shuffle Rating 602Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 2: queen to d5Shuffle Rating 602Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 2: rook to f1Shuffle Rating 604Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
7. Skewer: rook to h8Shuffle Rating 614Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 1: queen to g7 (d4)Shuffle Rating 617Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to b7Shuffle Rating 620Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f5Shuffle Rating 620Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e7 (d5·4)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e7 (d5·5)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to f7 (e5·9)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to f7 (e5·13)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d6 (b5·3)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d7Shuffle Rating 620Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to d8Shuffle Rating 620Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 1: pawn to c2Shuffle Rating 644Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: rook to g8Shuffle Rating 668Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Discovered attack: bishop to h7Shuffle Rating 681Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 1: queen to h7 (h4)Shuffle Rating 602Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Fork: knight to g5Shuffle Rating 603Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 2: queen to h2Shuffle Rating 603Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 1: queen to e1Shuffle Rating 604Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: rook to b8Shuffle Rating 605Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Discovered attack: bishop to f2Shuffle Rating 715Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
27. Mate in 1: rook to d3Shuffle Rating 722Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
28. Fork: bishop to c5 (e7)Shuffle Rating 772Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Mate in 1: queen to f1Shuffle Rating 619Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
30. Mate in 1: queen to g2Shuffle Rating 619Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 2 →