Open in the app

Day 852: Only move

Lesson of the day

An only move is a position where everything loses except one single continuation. You cannot play "by hand" here: run through fundamentally different defenses — run away, block, trade, counterattack — and discard the ones that fail. The hallmark of these puzzles is that the obvious moves lose quickly while the solution often looks strange. First understand exactly what the threat is — then the one saving move reveals itself.

Warm-up

1. Mate in 3: knight to d7 (e5)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: queen to e7 (e8·3)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: queen to b8 (a7·3)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: pawn to e3 (d2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: queen to c4 (d4)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: pawn to b4 (b2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Mate in 3: pawn to d6 (e5·2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to a6 (f1·15)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: knight to e6 (c7·4)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: king to b1 (a2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 2: queen to h7 (f5·5)Shuffle Rating 1802Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: queen to a5 (c7)Shuffle Rating 1809Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 2: queen to g6 (e4·7)Shuffle Rating 1811Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 3: rook to g8 (e8·3)Shuffle Rating 1816Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: queen to f7 (d7·2)Shuffle Rating 1817Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 2: queen to f5 (c2·2)Shuffle Rating 1891Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 2: knight to f6 (d7·4)Shuffle Rating 1895Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Fork: bishop to d4 (f6·2)Shuffle Rating 1883Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
19. Fork: queen to d4 (d8·3)Shuffle Rating 1884Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
20. Fork: queen to f1 (d3)Shuffle Rating 1884Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
21. Fork: bishop to f4 (h6)Shuffle Rating 1886Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
22. Fork: queen to e5 (e2)Shuffle Rating 1886Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Fork: king to e3Shuffle Rating 1893Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: pawn to e7 (d6·13)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: rook to a5 (a1)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to f7 (f1·10)Shuffle Rating 1990Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Winning blow: pawn to g8 (g7·4)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Chess960 tactic on f6 (c3)Shuffle Rating 2120Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to b7 (b1·5)Shuffle Rating 1930Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Winning blow: rook to h7 (h1·12)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 853 →