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Day 172: Mate in 2

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.

Warm-up

1. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to a4 (b3·7)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: king to d2 (e1·2)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h4 (f2·5)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to h8 (c3·3)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to d5 (e4·46)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to e3 (f2)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to h5 (h1·3)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e5 (d4·48)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d5 (e5)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: knight to g5 (h3)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 2: pawn to g4 (g2)Shuffle Rating 1016Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: bishop to f2Shuffle Rating 1018Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: pawn to f5Shuffle Rating 1020Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: knight to g3Shuffle Rating 1022Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: queen to f1 (f7)Shuffle Rating 1023Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to a1 (d1·3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: queen to c4 (b3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b7 (h1·9)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: queen to f8 (a3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: rook to b1 (c1·3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: pawn to c6 (c5)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: rook to h5 (h1)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: knight to e1 (d3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e4 (f3·32)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: rook to c5 (e5)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c7 (c6)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e8 (e3·2)Shuffle Rating 1090Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to g7 (g5)Shuffle Rating 1150Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to f8 (f2)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e5 (d4·49)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

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