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Day 188: Winning exchange

Lesson of the day

A winning exchange is a forced series of captures on one square that leaves you ahead in material. It is pure arithmetic: count the attackers and defenders of the square and note the value of every piece in the queue. Capture in the right order — cheap pieces first, expensive ones later — or a winning trade turns into a losing one. The classic error is stopping the count halfway and missing the opponent's final recapture.

Warm-up

1. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to b5 (a4·14)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c3 (b1)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: king to b2 (c1·5)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to g4 (g1·4)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e5 (d4·54)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e4 (f3·14)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to f7 (d5)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to f4 (c1·13)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to a4 (b3·8)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d8 (d1)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d7 (c5·9)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to f6 (a1·18)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c4 (e3·7)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: queen to c2 (e4)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to d6 (h2·2)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 1: rook to f1 (f2)Shuffle Rating 1000Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: knight to a2Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: rook to e5 (e3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to d5 (d1·2)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: rook to a5 (e5)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 2: rook to e8 (e6)Shuffle Rating 945Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to g1 (h3)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: bishop to f6 (g7)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: knight to d6 (f5)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to f7 (g8)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to g5 (f4·37)Shuffle Rating 1060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Winning blow: bishop to d2 (f4)Shuffle Rating 1060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Castling-960 to the rescue on h8Shuffle Rating 1150Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to h8 (h1·2)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to f6 (g5·15)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

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