Open in the app

Day 249: 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 g2 (f1·5)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to h5 (g3·13)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to d4 (g1·6)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to c6 (b7·2)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e4 (b1·5)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d4 (e2·6)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to f4 (c1·20)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to d4 (c3·28)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to h4 (h1·13)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to f5 (f1·2)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 2: bishop to g2Shuffle Rating 1079Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: rook to g2Shuffle Rating 1084Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: discovered attack on e2Shuffle Rating 1085Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: queen to h7 (d3·4)Shuffle Rating 1086Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: pawn to g4 (g3)Shuffle Rating 1087Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: queen to d4 (a1·3)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: queen to f7 (e8·2)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: pawn to c4 (c3)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d7 (c5·5)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: pawn to c5 (b4·10)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f2 (g3)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: knight to e2 (c1)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to d7 (c6·3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to b4 (a3·21)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: knight to f4 (h5·2)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Winning blow: bishop to g5 (e3·3)Shuffle Rating 1060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to f7 (e7)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Winning blow: rook to c8 (c4)Shuffle Rating 1250Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e6 (f5·17)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Mate in 2: bishop to g6Shuffle Rating 1090Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 250 →