Open in the app

Day 638: Pawn mate

Lesson of the day

The pawn mate lets the humblest soldier land the final blow. It happens to a king stuck among its own and enemy pieces: the pawn strikes diagonally from one square away and there is nowhere left to run. The sign: the squares around the king are covered or occupied, and your pawn stands one step from striking distance. Never write pawns out of your attack — their blows are the cheapest and therefore the most humiliating.

Warm-up

1. Mate in 2: bishop to b6Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to e8 (c8·2)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 2: queen to h8 (h2)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 2: queen to a5 (d2·2)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 2: queen to f8 (f7·3)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 2: queen to e8 (f7·5)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 2: queen to d8 (d3·5)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 2: queen to e7 (g5·3)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 2: queen to d6 (h6)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e8 (e6·2)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 3: queen to f7 (g8)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: knight to f5 (e3)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to e5 (f4·3)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 3: knight to e5 (g4)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 3: queen to e6 (d7)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 2: rook to b5 (e5)Shuffle Rating 1450Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: queen to a7 (a5·5)Shuffle Rating 1450Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to e7 (e1·6)Shuffle Rating 1450Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 2: rook to g7 (f7·5)Shuffle Rating 1450Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 2: queen to c8 (c5·5)Shuffle Rating 1450Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b6 (d4·3)Shuffle Rating 1470Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: bishop to h5 (e2·2)Shuffle Rating 1430Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 2: queen to e6 (g8·2)Shuffle Rating 1450Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: knight to e7 (g6·7)Shuffle Rating 1470Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Fork: rook to e2Shuffle Rating 1426Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b5 (b1·2)Shuffle Rating 1610Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to f5 (e3·24)Shuffle Rating 1610Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Winning blow: pawn to c4 (c2·8)Shuffle Rating 1750Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Winning blow: rook to d7 (d1·22)Shuffle Rating 1560Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Winning blow: pawn to h6 (h5·4)Shuffle Rating 1610Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 639 →