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Day 863: 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: rook to e1 (h1·4)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: king to g2 (f1)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Mate in 3: queen to d8 (g5·2)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: bishop to e6 (f7)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to d6 (d4)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 3: king to e3Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to c7 (c4)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 3: queen to b8 (a8·3)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: queen to g4 (e4)Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 3: king to e4Shuffle Rating 1630Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 3: queen to b6 (g1·2)Shuffle Rating 1950Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: rook to e8 (e1·13)Shuffle Rating 1950Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 3: bishop to b6 (d4·3)Shuffle Rating 1950Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: rook to d5 (d8·3)Shuffle Rating 1980Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Discovered attack: rook to g3 (c3)Shuffle Rating 1984Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Fork: knight to c6 (e5·2)Shuffle Rating 1905Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Fork: queen to a8 (d5)Shuffle Rating 1907Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 3: rook to c6 (d6·2)Shuffle Rating 1760Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Mate in 3: rook to f7 (g7·2)Shuffle Rating 1760Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 3: queen to h7 (e7·2)Shuffle Rating 1827Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Fork: queen to b2Shuffle Rating 1908Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 3: queen to h5 (h4·3)Shuffle Rating 1760Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Mate in 3: rook to b6 (b1·2)Shuffle Rating 1760Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 3: queen to a6 (d3·2)Shuffle Rating 1760Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: knight to e6 (d4·25)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Mate in 3: double attack on g7Shuffle Rating 1944Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Skewer: pawn to b8Shuffle Rating 2100Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to c7 (b6·6)Shuffle Rating 2150Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Winning blow: queen to f5 (e4·4)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to h6 (c1·21)Shuffle Rating 1760Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

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