Open in the app

Day 227: 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. Winning blow: knight to c8 (e7)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e5 (b2)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to a5 (b3·12)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e4 (f3·19)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: knight to f3 (g1)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to g6 (h4·3)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: pawn to d5 (c4·2)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to e4 (b1·12)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to a4 (c3·15)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d4 (f3·5)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 2: queen to h7 (e4·2)Shuffle Rating 1060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: queen to h6 (f4)Shuffle Rating 1064Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: queen to f2 (f4)Shuffle Rating 1065Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: queen to f1 (f7·2)Shuffle Rating 1066Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: queen to h2 (f4)Shuffle Rating 1066Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e8 (d6·5)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: pawn to b6 (a5·6)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to a5 (a1·6)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to g3 (f2·19)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: rook to c1 (d1·2)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Fork: knight to f2 (e4)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
22. Skewer: queen to g1Shuffle Rating 990Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: pawn to f4 (e3·2)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: bishop to e5 (f4·2)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to e6 (a2)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b8 (b3·2)Shuffle Rating 1010Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Mate in 2: knight to h4Shuffle Rating 1149Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to g4 (d1·7)Shuffle Rating 1220Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e6 (f4·5)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to a7 (a5)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 228 →