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Day 639: Two-bishop mate

Lesson of the day

The two-bishop mate rakes two adjacent diagonals: one bishop mates while the other seals off the escape squares. The bishops complement each other perfectly — living on opposite colors, together they cover an unbroken strip of the board. The pattern usually appears at the edge or in the corner where the king was pressed beforehand. Treasure the bishop pair until the attack comes — on an open board two adjacent diagonals become a solid wall.

Warm-up

1. Mate in 2: queen to c6 (a6·3)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 2: queen to d8 (d7·5)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 2: rook to a6 (a4)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 2: queen to b7 (a8·5)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 2: queen to c8 (c2·2)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 2: queen to g7 (b2·3)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 2: queen to f6 (d6·2)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to g8 (g6·2)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 2: queen to e7 (e5·2)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 2: queen to d8 (d7·6)Shuffle Rating 1320Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to e6 (d7·2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: rook to b7 (b5·2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: pawn to b4 (b5)Shuffle Rating 1664Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: bishop to f7 (g8·2)Shuffle Rating 1670Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: rook to b8 (b6·2)Shuffle Rating 1670Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: knight to e5 (f7·6)Shuffle Rating 1470Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: bishop to c6 (g2·6)Shuffle Rating 1430Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 2: rook to b5 (b4)Shuffle Rating 1450Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: rook to c7 (c8·8)Shuffle Rating 1470Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h8 (h4·2)Shuffle Rating 1430Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 2: queen to h8 (h6·5)Shuffle Rating 1456Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: rook to h1 (g1·12)Shuffle Rating 1470Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Fork: rook to b2Shuffle Rating 1428Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to b5 (b4·3)Shuffle Rating 1430Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 2: queen to d1 (d2)Shuffle Rating 1467Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Mate in 3: knight to g5 (e6·4)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Discovered attack: bishop to d5Shuffle Rating 1697Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to g3 (g1·3)Shuffle Rating 1750Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Fork: queen to g3 (e3)Shuffle Rating 1390Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Fork: rook to e6Shuffle Rating 1405Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

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