Day 107: Mate in 2

Target Rating 737

Lesson of the day

Mate in two: your move, any reply, then the mating blow. Start with the most forcing first moves — checks and sacrifices that shrink the opponent's options to almost nothing. Against every single reply you must have a mate ready, so check them all without exception. The common failure is analyzing the pretty defense and forgetting the boring one.

Types of the dayMate in 2 Uncastled king Hanging piece

Warm-up

1. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to f5 (d3·3)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

2. Winning blow: queen to d4 (d2)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

3. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to d5 (h1·2)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

4. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to f7 (e5·10)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

5. Winning blow: knight to h2 (f1)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

6. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to c5 (c2)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

7. Winning blow: pawn to e5 (f4·8)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

8. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to g3 (f2·3)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

9. Winning blow: knight to c8 (d6·2)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

10. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c3 (b2·9)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 2: queen to g3Shuffle Rating 948 Analysis

Black to move — find the best continuation

12. Mate in 2: rook to h4 (f4)Shuffle Rating 950 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

13. Mate in 2: queen to f6Shuffle Rating 950 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

14. Mate in 2: rook to h5 (h1)Shuffle Rating 951 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

15. Mate in 2: queen to d5 (h5)Shuffle Rating 952 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

16. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c5 (d4·30)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

17. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to d4 (c3·6)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

18. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to f4 (g3·38)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

19. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to d5 (c4·30)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

20. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to d4 (e3·24)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

21. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to a3 (b5)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

22. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to d5 (c4·72)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

23. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to h7 (g5·11)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

24. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to b5 (a4·18)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

25. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to b2 (c1)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Winning blow: pawn to b7 (b6)Shuffle Rating 920 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

27. Winning blow: knight to f6 (e4·7)Shuffle Rating 920 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

28. Winning blow: pawn to h7 (g6·3)Shuffle Rating 1060 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Winning blow: knight to d7 (e5)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

30. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to g8 (c4·2)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!