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Day 896: 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. Winning blow: pawn to d7 (c6·10)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: bishop to e8 (f7·2)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: rook to d8 (d2·4)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: pawn to e6 (e5·13)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: rook to h5 (h4·3)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: pawn to g6 (h5·12)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: rook to h7 (f7·3)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: queen to g6 (g4·6)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to b8 (a7·6)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: queen to e8 (h5·5)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 3: bishop to f2 (c5)Shuffle Rating 1855Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
12. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to c7 (c1·3)Shuffle Rating 1860Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Mate in 1: queen to a7 (g7)Shuffle Rating 1861Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 3: queen to b8 (b3·2)Shuffle Rating 1863Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Rescue the rook to d4Shuffle Rating 1881Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: rook to d5 (d1·19)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: rook to h3 (h1·2)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: bishop to c2 (d1·2)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: queen to b6 (a5·3)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: queen to a8 (a5·8)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f5 (f3·6)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: queen to d6 (c6·4)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: queen to e7 (d8·5)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: knight to f6 (d7·7)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to e5 (b2·4)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Mate in 2: queen to f3 (e3)Shuffle Rating 1949Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
27. Discovered attack: bishop to c4Shuffle Rating 2027Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Winning blow: pawn to d6 (d5·13)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Winning blow: queen to c5 (a7·7)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Winning blow: rook to e7 (c7·5)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 897 →