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Day 395: 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 b5 (d6·2)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c7 (b5·21)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to d5 (h1·24)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e7 (e6)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: pawn to d7 (e6·2)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: knight to d6 (f5·3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: pawn to c4 (d3·2)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: knight to c6 (e7·2)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: king to b2 (c1·12)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: knight to d5 (e3·4)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 2: rook to b1 (b2·2)Shuffle Rating 1196Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: rook to g1Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: queen to h2 (h4·4)Shuffle Rating 1202Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: rook to h7 (h2)Shuffle Rating 1202Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: queen to g4 (e2·2)Shuffle Rating 1203Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: pawn to b5 (b4·3)Shuffle Rating 1110Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e6 (e5·4)Shuffle Rating 1110Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: bishop to c1 (e3·2)Shuffle Rating 1110Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: pawn to g4 (g2·4)Shuffle Rating 1110Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to g3 (g2·5)Shuffle Rating 1110Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: rook to g5 (d5·3)Shuffle Rating 1110Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to b4 (b2·2)Shuffle Rating 1110Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: queen to a3 (b4)Shuffle Rating 1110Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to c6 (c5·4)Shuffle Rating 1110Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to b2 (a1·9)Shuffle Rating 1110Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Winning blow: bishop to b8 (c7·3)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e5 (f3·18)Shuffle Rating 1250Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Winning blow: knight to c8 (a7·2)Shuffle Rating 1420Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Winning blow: knight to f6 (e4·14)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Winning blow: pawn to h8Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 396 →