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Day 186: 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: bishop to h5 (e2·2)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to e7 (b4·3)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to g5 (f3·9)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to b2 (b1·2)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: rook to g6 (g3)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f5 (g6)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to f3 (e2·2)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h4 (e1·4)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to f1 (h1)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to f3 (e2·5)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 2: queen to b1 (f5)Shuffle Rating 1031Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: deflection on g4Shuffle Rating 1033Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: knight to h6Shuffle Rating 1033Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: queen to h7 (c2·2)Shuffle Rating 1034Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: rook to e1 (e4)Shuffle Rating 1036Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 1: queen to d1Shuffle Rating 994Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: pawn to g6 (g5)Shuffle Rating 993Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 2: queen to f7 (c4)Shuffle Rating 994Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 1: rook to h5 (g5)Shuffle Rating 994Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: rook to g4Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: pawn to b5 (a4·3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: king to f2 (g1·7)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: bishop to b6 (d4)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: knight to e4 (d6)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to c3 (c4)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h8 (h2)Shuffle Rating 1010Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Mate in 2: knight to d6 (f5·3)Shuffle Rating 1090Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Winning blow: pawn to b4 (b3·3)Shuffle Rating 1110Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e5 (d4·99)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to g8 (g3·2)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

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