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Day 933: Mate in 2

Lesson of the day

Mate in two: your move, any reply, then the mating blow. Start with the most forcing first moves — checks and sacrifices that shrink the opponent's options to almost nothing. Against every single reply you must have a mate ready, so check them all without exception. The common failure is analyzing the pretty defense and forgetting the boring one.

Warm-up

1. Winning blow: bishop to d6 (b4·5)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to g2 (g1·10)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: rook to e1 (g1·7)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: knight to d6 (f5·18)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: rook to f7 (f1·24)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: knight to e5 (f3·19)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: knight to d3 (f4)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to a5 (e5)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: bishop to f6 (g7·6)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: pawn to b6 (b5·10)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 2: pawn to g4 (g2·4)Shuffle Rating 2005Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 2: queen to a2 (c4)Shuffle Rating 2009Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: queen to e6 (g6·4)Shuffle Rating 2010Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: knight to g5 (f3·13)Shuffle Rating 2010Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 2: queen to c7 (b8·4)Shuffle Rating 2015Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: rook to g5 (g7)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: pawn to g6 (g5·9)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to b3 (b2)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: pawn to f6 (f5·9)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: knight to e4 (g3·6)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to g5 (d2·4)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: bishop to f5 (b1·13)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: bishop to e4 (f5·5)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: bishop to f2 (e1·2)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to e6 (h6·4)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Winning blow: rook to d5 (d1·23)Shuffle Rating 2100Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Mate in 2: fork on e4 (h4)Shuffle Rating 2248Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
28. Fork: queen to e4 (d5)Shuffle Rating 2275Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Winning blow: knight to c6 (b4·14)Shuffle Rating 2100Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Fork: knight to f3 (d4·4)Shuffle Rating 2080Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

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