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Day 962: 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: bishop to f6 (a1·17)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: pawn to d7 (d6·20)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: knight to c4 (a5)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: pawn to c5 (c4·16)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: queen to e5 (f4·8)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: knight to d5 (f6·3)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: queen to e4 (h4·2)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: knight to f4 (h3·2)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: rook to d7 (d5·6)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: rook to g1 (f1·11)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Win the hanging rook on d3 (d1)Shuffle Rating 2159Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Fork: queen to c4 (c3·2)Shuffle Rating 2162Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Fork: queen to c2 (b3)Shuffle Rating 2167Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
14. Pin: queen to g6 (c6)Shuffle Rating 2167Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Mate in 3: rook to c3 (d3·2)Shuffle Rating 2171Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: rook to f1 (e1·11)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: rook to d7 (d8·6)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to c6 (g2·5)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: queen to d5 (d1·4)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: queen to h6 (e3·4)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: queen to g7 (g2·5)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: bishop to e3 (f2·2)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: pawn to e5 (e4·11)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to e5 (b8·2)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: queen to e7 (d6·7)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e5 (a1·10)Shuffle Rating 2250Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Winning blow: rook to f2 (d2·3)Shuffle Rating 2290Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Chess960 tactic on e7 (a3)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Winning blow: pawn to c6 (c5·15)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Winning blow: rook to e1 (b1·6)Shuffle Rating 2060Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 963 →