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Day 796: Mate in 2

Lesson of the day

Mate in two: your move, any reply, then the mating blow. Start with the most forcing first moves — checks and sacrifices that shrink the opponent's options to almost nothing. Against every single reply you must have a mate ready, so check them all without exception. The common failure is analyzing the pretty defense and forgetting the boring one.

Warm-up

1. Mate in 3: bishop to h6Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: rook to e8 (e2·2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: rook to g1 (a1)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: rook to h1 (g1·2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: rook to a5Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: queen to b6 (f2·2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: queen to c8 (b7)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: knight to d4Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: rook to d8 (d3·3)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h6 (d2·2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 2: queen to e7 (e1)Shuffle Rating 1680Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: knight to e7 (d5·6)Shuffle Rating 1713Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: deflection on d1Shuffle Rating 1675Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 2: rook to b8 (b7·5)Shuffle Rating 1670Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: rook to f7 (h7)Shuffle Rating 1670Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to c6 (c2·4)Shuffle Rating 1790Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: knight to e7 (d5·21)Shuffle Rating 1790Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to g7 (d7·3)Shuffle Rating 1790Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: knight to c5 (e4·9)Shuffle Rating 1790Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: queen to f6 (b2·9)Shuffle Rating 1790Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: rook to g7 (g3·12)Shuffle Rating 1790Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: queen to d5 (g2)Shuffle Rating 1790Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e6 (c5·25)Shuffle Rating 1790Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Win the hanging queen on e3Shuffle Rating 1782Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to c6 (b6·7)Shuffle Rating 1790Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Winning blow: pawn to e6 (e5·16)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Rescue the pawn to h2Shuffle Rating 1939Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
28. Winning blow: knight to c7 (e6·2)Shuffle Rating 2010Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Winning blow: bishop to e5 (d4·10)Shuffle Rating 1790Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Mate in 3: bishop to f3 (g4)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

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