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Day 974: Quiet move

Lesson of the day

A quiet move gives no check and takes nothing — yet it decides the game by creating an unstoppable threat or stealing the king's last square. This is the hardest class of moves: the eye hunts for loud blows while a modest shift does the winning. The clue: every forcing try runs into a defense, so seek the move that strengthens the threat or takes squares away. Train yourself to ask: what if I neither capture nor check, but quietly improve?

Warm-up

1. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f7 (f1·4)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to c7 (b6)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Chess960 tactic on d6 (c7)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Chess960 tactic on e7 (e5)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Chess960 tactic on a7 (e3)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Chess960 tactic on e6 (c8)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Chess960 tactic on b6 (d6·2)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Chess960 tactic on d7 (d1·5)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Chess960 tactic on d8 (d6)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Chess960 tactic on e7 (e3·3)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Winning blow: bishop to f6 (d4·7)Shuffle Rating 2290Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: knight to e7 (g6·9)Shuffle Rating 2290Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: bishop to f4 (e3·6)Shuffle Rating 2290Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: queen to g4 (g7)Shuffle Rating 2290Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: queen to g4 (c4)Shuffle Rating 2290Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Chess960 tactic on d7 (g7)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to b6 (c5·3)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Chess960 tactic on h7 (h4·3)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Chess960 tactic on f4 (c7)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Chess960 tactic on f7 (d7)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: rook to b1 (a1·9)Shuffle Rating 2340Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: rook to b1 (c1·14)Shuffle Rating 2340Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: pawn to f8 (f7·13)Shuffle Rating 2340Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Chess960 tactic on d7 (e6)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Winning blow: rook to d6 (c6·8)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Chess960 tactic on b6 (d4)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Chess960 tactic on f7 (f6)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Winning blow: queen to e7 (e4·5)Shuffle Rating 2380Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Chess960 tactic on d7 (d3)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Chess960 tactic on e4 (e7)Shuffle Rating 2350Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 975 →