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Day 842: Corner mate

Lesson of the day

The corner mate catches a king driven into the corner, where it has only three neighboring squares — all of them taken away or blocked. The corner is the worst home for a king, because the attacker needs to control the fewest squares there. Herd the king toward the corner with checks and never let it slip back toward the center. Cut off the escape routes before the final check, and the mate practically assembles itself.

Warm-up

1. Mate in 3: knight to f8Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to d8 (d6·2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: bishop to c1 (b2·2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: pawn to b7 (a6·3)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: queen to d4 (c3)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: knight to c6 (a5·2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: pawn to g7 (f6·2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: queen to f7 (h5)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: rook to h7 (h5·3)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 2: bishop to d6 (c5)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 3: queen to f6 (g5·4)Shuffle Rating 1903Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: bishop to g7 (b2)Shuffle Rating 1913Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 3: rook to h6 (h1·2)Shuffle Rating 1924Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 3: king to g6 (h5)Shuffle Rating 1926Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 3: pin on b6Shuffle Rating 1945Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: pawn to d6 (e5·17)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: queen to a7 (g1·3)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to e8 (e6·4)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: pawn to e6 (f5·11)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: knight to f7 (d6·6)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to d6 (c5·5)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: rook to e7 (e6·5)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: queen to a8 (a7·12)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: rook to e8 (e1·22)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: bishop to f7 (a2·4)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Trap the rook on a8 (f8)Shuffle Rating 1945Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
27. Pin: knight to e5 (d7)Shuffle Rating 2048Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
28. Chess960 tactic on c1 (d2)Shuffle Rating 2120Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Winning blow: queen to c8 (d8·3)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Discovered attack: knight to e5 (c6)Shuffle Rating 1929Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 843 →