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Day 567: Winning exchange

Lesson of the day

A winning exchange is a forced series of captures on one square that leaves you ahead in material. It is pure arithmetic: count the attackers and defenders of the square and note the value of every piece in the queue. Capture in the right order — cheap pieces first, expensive ones later — or a winning trade turns into a losing one. The classic error is stopping the count halfway and missing the opponent's final recapture.

Warm-up

1. Winning blow: king to g1 (h1·3)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: king to e1 (f1·9)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: king to h2 (g1·10)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: king to d1 (e2·2)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: king to b1 (c1·8)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: king to g1 (f1·11)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: king to f1 (g1·7)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: king to c2 (b2)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: king to c1 (d2·2)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: king to f1 (e1·7)Shuffle Rating 970Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Winning blow: rook to e1 (e4·4)Shuffle Rating 1390Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: rook to d8 (d1·26)Shuffle Rating 1420Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: knight to f6 (e4·23)Shuffle Rating 1420Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: pawn to a7 (b6·3)Shuffle Rating 1420Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Discovered attack: knight to d4Shuffle Rating 1421Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: knight to e8 (f6·4)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: rook to g7 (h7·3)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to f8 (g8·2)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: queen to e5 (a1·7)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: knight to c5 (e6·9)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: rook to d4 (d1·9)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: queen to d5 (d7·2)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: king to g1 (f1·25)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to d5 (h5)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h7 (g8·3)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Mate in 2: queen to a7 (a4)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Winning blow: knight to f5 (g3·16)Shuffle Rating 1430Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e6 (d4·34)Shuffle Rating 1430Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e7 (f5·14)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Winning blow: knight to c4 (b6)Shuffle Rating 1010Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

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