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Day 894: 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: rook to b7 (c7·4)Shuffle Rating 1860Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Mate in 3: rook to a8 (c8)Shuffle Rating 1860Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e7 (e3·6)Shuffle Rating 1860Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Mate in 3: rook to c7 (c4·3)Shuffle Rating 1860Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Mate in 3: queen to f6 (g7·5)Shuffle Rating 1860Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: pawn to d6 (d5·12)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to a7 (b6)Shuffle Rating 1860Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: rook to e8 (e1·23)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Mate in 3: rook to e7 (e6·4)Shuffle Rating 1860Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: rook to f5 (f3·3)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 3: double attack on f7Shuffle Rating 2025Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: fork on f7 (h5)Shuffle Rating 2063Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: queen to e5 (c5·3)Shuffle Rating 2120Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Chess960 tactic on e6 (d5)Shuffle Rating 2120Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Chess960 tactic on f8 (g6)Shuffle Rating 2120Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Mate in 3: rook to g3 (g4)Shuffle Rating 1955Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
17. Mate in 3: double attack on f1 (c4)Shuffle Rating 1978Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
18. Mate in 3: double attack on g7 (g3)Shuffle Rating 1978Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d7 (e5·21)Shuffle Rating 1980Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Mate in 3: queen to b6 (c5·4)Shuffle Rating 1980Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Mate in 3: queen to d3 (a6)Shuffle Rating 1980Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Mate in 3: rook to a3 (h3)Shuffle Rating 1980Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: king to f2 (g1·15)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Mate in 3: rook to b6 (b3)Shuffle Rating 1980Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to a7 (a3·5)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Winning blow: pawn to d8 (d7·9)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Discovered attack: bishop to d5 (f3·2)Shuffle Rating 2024Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Pin: knight to f4 (e6)Shuffle Rating 2206Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Mate in 3: knight to f5 (d6)Shuffle Rating 1990Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Winning blow: queen to e5 (e4·10)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 895 →