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Day 929: Mate in 4+

Lesson of the day

Mate in four or longer is a marathon of forcing moves where the grip must never loosen. The tools are the same: checks, double threats and sacrifices that deny the opponent a single free tempo. Do not juggle the whole tree at once — walk the main line all the way to mate first, then verify the side branches. If somewhere the defender finds one quiet move that holds, your very first move was wrong.

Warm-up

1. Winning blow: queen to f4 (h4·3)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: knight to d6 (e4·21)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: pawn to c7 (d6·9)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: rook to d8 (d6·5)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: queen to e7 (f8·7)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: queen to d4 (b2·3)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to f6 (e6·6)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: queen to e5 (h8·2)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to d5 (c5·7)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: knight to c5 (d3·19)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Chess960 tactic on a8 (b7)Shuffle Rating 2120Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Chess960 tactic on b4Shuffle Rating 2120Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: rook to e1 (f1·16)Shuffle Rating 2120Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Chess960 tactic on c5 (d6)Shuffle Rating 2120Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Chess960 tactic on f5 (d5)Shuffle Rating 2120Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: queen to d1 (d2·3)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: rook to d1 (h1·7)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to b7 (h1·6)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: queen to f6 (c3·6)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: pawn to c4 (c3·5)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: rook to f7 (f1·23)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: bishop to c3 (d2·5)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: rook to e1 (h1)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to f6 (c3·7)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to d5 (d3·3)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Mate in 2: pawn to g4 (g2·5)Shuffle Rating 2100Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Win the hanging knight on d8Shuffle Rating 2240Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
28. Fork: knight to c3 (d5·2)Shuffle Rating 2264Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Winning blow: knight to b6 (c4·16)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Winning blow: king to e2 (e1·19)Shuffle Rating 1870Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 930 →