Open in the app

Day 836: Quiet move

Lesson of the day

A quiet move gives no check and takes nothing — yet it decides the game by creating an unstoppable threat or stealing the king's last square. This is the hardest class of moves: the eye hunts for loud blows while a modest shift does the winning. The clue: every forcing try runs into a defense, so seek the move that strengthens the threat or takes squares away. Train yourself to ask: what if I neither capture nor check, but quietly improve?

Warm-up

1. Mate in 3: queen to f4 (h6)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f6 (g5·3)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: pawn to e6 (d5·2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: bishop to g5 (h6)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: knight to e6 (c5)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: pawn to b6 (a5·2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: queen to g6 (g7)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to h8 (h7·7)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: queen to c6 (b6·4)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: pawn to g6 (f5·3)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Winning blow: knight to c5 (d3·21)Shuffle Rating 1890Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: knight to c3 (e4·4)Shuffle Rating 1890Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: pawn to g5 (g4·9)Shuffle Rating 1890Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: queen to b7 (e4·6)Shuffle Rating 1890Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: queen to a7 (e3·4)Shuffle Rating 1890Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: pawn to b6 (a5·10)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: double attack on d4Shuffle Rating 1868Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to e6 (d6·3)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: rook to b8 (a8·2)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: pawn to b6 (c5·12)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: pawn to c8 (d7)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: pawn to d4 (c3·9)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: knight to f7 (e5·14)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: pawn to b6 (c5·11)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to e5 (e4·9)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Winning blow: rook to c1 (h1·6)Shuffle Rating 1980Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Winning blow: pawn to b8 (b7·14)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Fork: knight to c4 (d2)Shuffle Rating 2107Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Mate in 3: queen to d5 (f7)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Mate in 2: rook to c7 (c1·4)Shuffle Rating 1670Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 837 →