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Day 633: Corner mate

Lesson of the day

The corner mate catches a king driven into the corner, where it has only three neighboring squares — all of them taken away or blocked. The corner is the worst home for a king, because the attacker needs to control the fewest squares there. Herd the king toward the corner with checks and never let it slip back toward the center. Cut off the escape routes before the final check, and the mate practically assembles itself.

Warm-up

1. Winning blow: knight to b8 (d7·4)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: bishop to f3 (h1·5)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: rook to e2 (e1·7)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: rook to e3 (e1·10)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: rook to f6 (f1·6)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: bishop to d1 (c2·3)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: bishop to f2 (a7)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: queen to d7 (d2·5)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: knight to c6 (e5·18)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: queen to d1 (c2)Shuffle Rating 1200Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 2: knight to g6 (h4·5)Shuffle Rating 1613Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 1: queen to f8 (h6·2)Shuffle Rating 1613Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: queen to f1 (d3·2)Shuffle Rating 1622Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: queen to f7 (c7)Shuffle Rating 1624Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 3: pawn to c3Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to g6 (d3·4)Shuffle Rating 1430Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to c7 (g3·3)Shuffle Rating 1430Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: king to g1 (h1·8)Shuffle Rating 1390Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: rook to c7 (c6·5)Shuffle Rating 1430Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: pawn to f4 (f3·5)Shuffle Rating 1390Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: bishop to c6 (e8)Shuffle Rating 1430Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: queen to c8 (c4)Shuffle Rating 1390Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to g6 (e5·9)Shuffle Rating 1430Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: bishop to a5 (b6)Shuffle Rating 1390Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to d6 (b4·7)Shuffle Rating 1430Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Discovered attack: pawn to c5 (c4)Shuffle Rating 1644Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Winning blow: knight to e5 (d3·23)Shuffle Rating 1650Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c4 (c3·6)Shuffle Rating 1750Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Winning blow: knight to f5 (e7·6)Shuffle Rating 1560Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Winning blow: pawn to d4 (d2·4)Shuffle Rating 1390Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 634 →