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Day 234: 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: king to c2 (d1·4)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to b5 (b1)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e4 (f3·22)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: pawn to f3 (e2·3)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to f2 (g2·2)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e5 (f4·52)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c2 (e1)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to a8 (h1·25)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: rook to h3Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to g2 (e1·5)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to b7 (a6·5)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: queen to e6 (e3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: rook to f7 (f1·6)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: bishop to e5 (b2·4)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: pawn to e4 (d3·8)Shuffle Rating 1060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: king to g2 (h3)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h4 (h8)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Fork: rook to c8 (c7)Shuffle Rating 983Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: knight to d2Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h8 (b2·3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: bishop to f2 (e3·2)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: knight to g3 (e2·3)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Fork: bishop to d5 (c4)Shuffle Rating 985Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: pawn to c4 (b3·2)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to e5 (e4·3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d5 (c5)Shuffle Rating 1010Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Winning blow: king to c1 (d1·12)Shuffle Rating 1060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Winning blow: king to b2 (c1·19)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Mate in 2: rook to a1 (a8·2)Shuffle Rating 1078Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
30. Winning blow: queen to f4 (e3)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 235 →