Open in the app

Day 263: Winning blow

Lesson of the day

A winning blow is a forced material gain that does not fit a single textbook motif. The general tactical recipe applies: spot loose pieces, an awkwardly placed king, overloaded lines. Go through the forcing moves in order of violence — checks, captures, threats — because most combinations start with one of them. Do not judge by feel: calculate the concrete line until the outcome is beyond doubt.

Warm-up

1. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d4 (b3·13)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: king to g3 (f2)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: knight to g4 (e5)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to g3 (b8)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to h7 (h1)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to h5 (h4)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to f3 (g2·16)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d5 (e3·6)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to f8 (g6·2)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e3 (f1)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Win the hanging knight on e6Shuffle Rating 951Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: rook to d8 (d7)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: rook to e8 (e5)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: rook to f7 (f1·3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: knight to f5 (e3·7)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 1: queen to g2 (c6·8)Shuffle Rating 1036Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: queen to d1 (g4·4)Shuffle Rating 1036Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
18. Fork: rook to d3Shuffle Rating 1032Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
19. Fork: bishop to e3 (g5)Shuffle Rating 1033Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
20. Fork: knight to e4 (g3)Shuffle Rating 1035Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Fork: rook to d8 (d1)Shuffle Rating 1037Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Fork: bishop to c5 (d6)Shuffle Rating 1038Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to c7 (h2·2)Shuffle Rating 1010Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to g3 (c7)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: rook to d7 (c7)Shuffle Rating 1010Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Winning blow: queen to f3 (h1·2)Shuffle Rating 1060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Winning blow: queen to a8 (a3·4)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to d5 (c4·114)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Mate in 2: deflection on g6Shuffle Rating 1091Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Winning blow: knight to f6 (e4)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 264 →