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Day 489: Mate in 1

Lesson of the day

Mate in one: the combination is over, only the final precise shot remains. The method is simple — list every check you have and test the three escapes against each: king moves, blocks, and capturing the checker. If none of them works, it is mate. The classic blunder is falling in love with the first check you see and missing the one escape hatch.

Warm-up

1. Winning blow: knight to f5 (g3·7)Shuffle Rating 1060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: queen to b4 (e1·2)Shuffle Rating 1060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: rook to b8 (b2)Shuffle Rating 1060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: rook to e3 (e1·7)Shuffle Rating 1060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e5 (f4·92)Shuffle Rating 1060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: king to d1 (e1·4)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to g6 (f4·4)Shuffle Rating 1060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: king to c2 (c1·3)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to f3 (g4)Shuffle Rating 1060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: king to f1 (g1·11)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 1: rook to e1 (d1)Shuffle Rating 1414Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
12. Back-rank mate in 1 on e1 (d2)Shuffle Rating 1417Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 1: knight to c2 (d4)Shuffle Rating 1421Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 1: queen to e8 (g6·2)Shuffle Rating 1423Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 1: queen to f4Shuffle Rating 1434Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d6 (f4·2)Shuffle Rating 1220Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to a6 (d3·6)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: rook to d4 (d1·7)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to e8 (b8)Shuffle Rating 1220Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: queen to e3 (c3)Shuffle Rating 1250Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to d4 (a1·5)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to a6 (c6·2)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: rook to d2 (d1·10)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 2: knight to f7 (e5)Shuffle Rating 1220Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: bishop to d3 (h7)Shuffle Rating 1250Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Mate in 2: queen to f7 (f4·4)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Back-rank mate in 2 on d8 (a5)Shuffle Rating 1373Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c4 (e3·11)Shuffle Rating 1560Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Winning blow: rook to c3 (f3·2)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Winning blow: queen to e1 (d1)Shuffle Rating 1290Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 490 →