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Day 951: Mate in 3

Lesson of the day

Mate in three is a forced staircase: each of your moves narrows the opponent's choices, and the third one ends the game. Look for the start among checks and sacrifices — quiet first moves are rare in mating problems, but deliciously sneaky. Keep the tree in your head: every defense gets its own branch. Do not stop calculating after move two — see the final mating picture with your own eyes.

Warm-up

1. Chess960 tactic on d4 (e3·2)Shuffle Rating 2120Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: rook to e7 (f7·10)Shuffle Rating 2100Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Chess960 tactic on c7 (c8·2)Shuffle Rating 2120Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: bishop to c6 (e4·16)Shuffle Rating 2100Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to c6 (h1·16)Shuffle Rating 2120Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: rook to a8 (d8)Shuffle Rating 2100Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to d6 (c5·39)Shuffle Rating 2120Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: bishop to d8 (g5)Shuffle Rating 2100Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Chess960 tactic on b1 (f1)Shuffle Rating 2120Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: rook to d4 (d1·14)Shuffle Rating 2100Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Mate in 3: double attack on f5Shuffle Rating 2128Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: rook to g3 (f3·3)Shuffle Rating 2145Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: queen to b7 (b2·3)Shuffle Rating 2150Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Mate in 3: queen to h2 (h4)Shuffle Rating 2150Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
15. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d3 (c3)Shuffle Rating 2170Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: rook to g7 (g1·12)Shuffle Rating 2100Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: rook to f5 (f1·14)Shuffle Rating 2100Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: bishop to b7 (h1·11)Shuffle Rating 2100Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Chess960 tactic on f1Shuffle Rating 2120Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: knight to c5 (d3·24)Shuffle Rating 2100Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Chess960 tactic on a5Shuffle Rating 2120Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: knight to d6 (e4·24)Shuffle Rating 2100Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Chess960 tactic on e6 (b3)Shuffle Rating 2120Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: rook to e6 (e1·29)Shuffle Rating 2100Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d6 (g3·5)Shuffle Rating 2120Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Mate in 3: double attack on g7 (g1)Shuffle Rating 2205Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Fork: queen to d5 (d1·2)Shuffle Rating 2218Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Winning blow: rook to e8 (e7·11)Shuffle Rating 2290Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Winning blow: pawn to b4 (b3·4)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Winning blow: knight to d5 (e3·17)Shuffle Rating 2100Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

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