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Day 748: Long-range opener

Lesson of the day

The long-range opener: a bishop, rook or queen strikes across the whole board straight from its starting area. In Chess960 the long-range pieces sit on unfamiliar squares, and a single pawn move can uncover a shot deep into the enemy camp. In the opening, trace with your eyes the diagonals and files of every long-range piece — yours and theirs. The mistake is pushing a pawn without checking whose line you have just opened.

Warm-up

1. Winning blow: rook to b7 (d7·3)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: bishop to d6 (g3·2)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: bishop to d4 (e5·4)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: knight to f6 (d5·9)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: bishop to f7 (c4·3)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: pawn to b3 (a2·13)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: rook to b7 (b1·9)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: knight to g6 (f4·8)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to e5 (a1·8)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: rook to e8 (h8·3)Shuffle Rating 1280Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to b4 (e1·11)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to g4 (d1·8)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to h6 (c1·20)Shuffle Rating 1760Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 3: bishop to f6 (a1·4)Shuffle Rating 1760Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to b8 (b1·22)Shuffle Rating 1760Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 2: rook to d8 (d1·13)Shuffle Rating 1652Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: queen to h2 (h4·5)Shuffle Rating 1659Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 3: rook to c6Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c7 (c6·4)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 2: pawn to h4 (h5)Shuffle Rating 1660Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 3: queen to d3Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 3: queen to g5 (g3)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 3: queen to f7 (e7·2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 2: queen to h5 (h8)Shuffle Rating 1663Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 3: rook to g6 (g4)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Winning blow: queen to f7 (d7·3)Shuffle Rating 1790Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Winning blow: bishop to b5 (d7·2)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Mate in 1: queen to d8 (c7)Shuffle Rating 1904Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Mate in 3: queen to d5Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Mate in 3: bishop to e4 (f3·3)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

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