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Day 829: 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 3: queen to h7 (f5)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: queen to e6 (f6)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: rook to f7 (f1)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: rook to d4 (d1)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: queen to f6 (b2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to g4 (h4·3)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: rook to a5 (d5)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: pawn to f4 (e3·3)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to d6 (b4·5)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: queen to c5 (c4·2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 3: pawn to a5 (b4)Shuffle Rating 1980Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: queen to f7 (d5·3)Shuffle Rating 1980Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 3: pawn to g4 (f3·2)Shuffle Rating 1980Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 3: queen to e7 (f7·6)Shuffle Rating 1980Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: king to h3Shuffle Rating 1986Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 2: queen to h7 (c2·8)Shuffle Rating 1849Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Fork: rook to f2 (d2)Shuffle Rating 1849Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 3: pawn to c8 (c7)Shuffle Rating 1760Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 3: knight to b7 (a5·3)Shuffle Rating 1760Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 3: queen to f5 (f3·2)Shuffle Rating 1760Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 3: pawn to e8 (f7·3)Shuffle Rating 1760Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to c8 (a8·2)Shuffle Rating 1760Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 3: knight to c8 (b6)Shuffle Rating 1760Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 3: knight to b5 (a7)Shuffle Rating 1760Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Mate in 3: knight to f6 (d7·2)Shuffle Rating 1760Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Winning blow: bishop to f5 (d3·12)Shuffle Rating 1930Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Rescue the king to d8 (d7)Shuffle Rating 2032Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Win the hanging rook on c1Shuffle Rating 2095Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Mate in 2: queen to h1 (h2)Shuffle Rating 1877Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
30. Mate in 3: knight to e5 (g6·3)Shuffle Rating 1860Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 830 →