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Day 426: Overload

Lesson of the day

Overloading exploits a defender with two jobs at once — guarding a piece and covering a mating square, for instance. It cannot do both: your first strike forces it to handle one duty and abandon the other. Find the overworked piece by asking what happens to each of its charges if it gets distracted. Then hit one target and collect the other — an overloaded defender only pretends to defend.

Warm-up

1. Winning blow: rook to d1 (d3)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: king to a2Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c7 (b5·23)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: king to f2 (e2)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: knight to c7 (b5·3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: king to c1 (d1·3)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c7 (d6·8)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: king to c1 (d1·4)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f6 (f3)Shuffle Rating 920Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: king to f1 (g2)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Winning blow: queen to e7 (e6·5)Shuffle Rating 1150Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: rook to e7 (e1·7)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: queen to h8 (h6)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: knight to e5 (d3·14)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c5 (b4·34)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 2: queen to d6 (e6·2)Shuffle Rating 1220Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: queen to a6 (f1·2)Shuffle Rating 1220Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 2: knight to b6 (a4)Shuffle Rating 1220Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to a3 (b2·7)Shuffle Rating 1220Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: queen to a5 (d5·2)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: bishop to h4 (e1·2)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to b3 (d2·2)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: queen to a8 (f3·3)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to f5 (f2·3)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: bishop to g7 (b2·3)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f7 (f3·5)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d5 (e3·19)Shuffle Rating 1390Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d6 (b5·13)Shuffle Rating 1480Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b2 (d2)Shuffle Rating 1060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Mate in 2: queen to c6 (b5)Shuffle Rating 1220Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

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