Open in the app

Day 407: Early queen raid

Lesson of the day

The early queen raid: from an odd starting square the queen bursts into the game before any defense exists. In classical chess an early queen sortie gets punished, but in Chess960 it sometimes hits squares that literally no one can defend. The sign: within a move or two the queen reaches an unprotected pawn or piece near the enemy king. First check whether the queen can be chased with tempo — otherwise the raid just loses time.

Warm-up

1. Winning blow: rook to e7 (h7)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: knight to c6 (e5·5)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e6 (f5·19)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c7 (b5·22)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: bishop to e5 (b2·3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to g7 (f5·13)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: rook to f4 (h4)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: rook to f3 (e3·2)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: rook to d7 (d1·5)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: rook to b8 (b6)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 2: queen to f5 (h7)Shuffle Rating 1220Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: queen to b3 (c3·2)Shuffle Rating 1250Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b2 (c1)Shuffle Rating 1250Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f3 (f4)Shuffle Rating 1340Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f2 (f1·2)Shuffle Rating 1340Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: queen to d6 (b4·3)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e2 (c3·5)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to g6 (b1)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: rook to d3 (c3)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to d5 (c4·112)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to c7 (c6)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: rook to f7 (e7·2)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: knight to f7 (g5·6)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: knight to d5 (e3·10)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: rook to g5 (f5)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Winning blow: rook to d4 (d1·10)Shuffle Rating 1290Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Mate in 2: queen to f6 (f5·3)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Mate in 2: knight to e6 (c7)Shuffle Rating 1450Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to a6 (f1·6)Shuffle Rating 1220Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to a1 (b1·8)Shuffle Rating 1110Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 408 →