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Day 782: Rook endgame

Lesson of the day

The rook endgame is the most common of all: rooks and pawns on the board. Its first law is activity — a rook behind a passed pawn beats a rook passively babysitting one. The sign of a correct plan is that your rook is attacking something, not guarding something. The typical error is locking your rook into defense: it is often better to give up a pawn and keep your rook and king active.

Warm-up

1. Mate in 3: queen to f5 (d3)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: queen to f7 (g7)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: pawn to f7Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: pawn to g4 (f3)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: king to h1 (g1)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: queen to a8 (g2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: pawn to h6Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: rook to d5 (d1)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: pawn to f7 (f6)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: bishop to c6 (h1)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 3: rook to e6 (e5)Shuffle Rating 1760Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: rook to d4 (e4)Shuffle Rating 1774Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
13. Win the hanging rook on e8Shuffle Rating 1784Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Rescue the king to d7Shuffle Rating 1836Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: king to f4 (f3)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: rook to b1 (a1·8)Shuffle Rating 1750Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: rook to h3 (h6·2)Shuffle Rating 1750Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to c1 (a1·5)Shuffle Rating 1750Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: queen to h6 (c1·6)Shuffle Rating 1750Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: rook to b3 (a3·6)Shuffle Rating 1750Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: rook to g1 (d1·2)Shuffle Rating 1750Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: queen to e3 (e2·3)Shuffle Rating 1750Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: queen to e2 (d3·2)Shuffle Rating 1750Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Fork: queen to f8Shuffle Rating 1751Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Fork: rook to e5 (f5·3)Shuffle Rating 1755Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Mate in 1: pawn to h5 (h7)Shuffle Rating 1840Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
27. Mate in 2: queen to c3 (a5)Shuffle Rating 1952Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
28. Fork: rook to e5 (e6)Shuffle Rating 1965Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Mate in 3: rook to e1 (e8)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Mate in 3: king to a1Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 783 →