Day 152: Mate in 2

Target Rating 793

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 Hanging piece Uncastled king

Warm-up

1. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to h5 (d1·10)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

2. Winning blow: rook to c2Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

3. Winning blow: knight to e6 (f4)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

4. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c8 (b6)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

5. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to b6 (g1·2)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

6. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to d5 (c4·42)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

7. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e6 (e4)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

8. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c5 (b3·4)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

9. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to g8 (h7·10)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

10. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to h3 (g2·19)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 2: queen to h8 (h7)Shuffle Rating 993 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

12. Mate in 2: deflection on b4Shuffle Rating 994 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

13. Mate in 2: rook to g7Shuffle Rating 996 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

14. Mate in 2: rook to c8 (c2)Shuffle Rating 1000 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

15. Mate in 2: queen to f7 (f1)Shuffle Rating 1003 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

16. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e5 (d3)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

17. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to g5 (f4·9)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

18. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to h5 (g4·2)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

19. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e3 (d2·2)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

20. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to b3 (a2·9)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

21. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to f5 (g4·5)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

22. Winning blow: rook to g6Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

23. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to a4 (c5·2)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

24. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to a6 (f1·2)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

25. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to a7 (g1)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to h8 (h7·3)Shuffle Rating 920 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

27. Winning blow: rook to e7 (e1·2)Shuffle Rating 920 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

28. Winning blow: bishop to h6 (e3)Shuffle Rating 1110 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to c6 (g2)Shuffle Rating 780 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

30. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to e3 (g1·4)Shuffle Rating 920 Analysis

White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!