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Day 420: 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: bishop to g5 (c1)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: king to f1 (g1·4)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: pawn to b3 (c2·5)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: king to g2 (f2)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: knight to f2 (h1)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: rook to b3 (f3)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to c5 (a7)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: rook to e8 (e1)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c5 (b4·29)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to d4 (d1·12)Shuffle Rating 780Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 2: queen to c8 (e6)Shuffle Rating 1220Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: bishop to h6 (e3)Shuffle Rating 1220Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: queen to c7 (e5·2)Shuffle Rating 1220Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: knight to e5Shuffle Rating 1220Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: rook to e8 (d8·2)Shuffle Rating 1220Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to b3 (c2·18)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to f4 (e3·47)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: knight to d6 (e4·3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: bishop to h1 (f3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: queen to h5 (e5)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d7 (d3·5)Shuffle Rating 1010Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f5 (f2)Shuffle Rating 1010Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to g8 (g3·3)Shuffle Rating 1010Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to c7 (a5·2)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e4 (f3·5)Shuffle Rating 1010Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Winning blow: pawn to g6 (h5·7)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Winning blow: king to e4 (f4)Shuffle Rating 1250Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Mate in 1: queen to b4 (a5)Shuffle Rating 1306Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d6 (d1)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Winning blow: pawn to d8 (d7)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 421 →