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Day 988: Winning blow

Lesson of the day

A winning blow is a forced material gain that does not fit a single textbook motif. The general tactical recipe applies: spot loose pieces, an awkwardly placed king, overloaded lines. Go through the forcing moves in order of violence — checks, captures, threats — because most combinations start with one of them. Do not judge by feel: calculate the concrete line until the outcome is beyond doubt.

Warm-up

1. Pin: knight to h2Shuffle Rating 2427Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
2. Deflection: rook to d4 (d6)Shuffle Rating 2436Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Fork: knight to g3 (e2·2)Shuffle Rating 2421Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
4. Fork: rook to c3 (e3)Shuffle Rating 2428Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
5. Pin: queen to f6 (f3·2)Shuffle Rating 2357Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Mate in 2: queen to g2 (g3)Shuffle Rating 2446Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
7. Win the hanging king on c7Shuffle Rating 2449Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
8. Fork: queen to e3 (g3·2)Shuffle Rating 2440Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
9. Rescue the pawn to b6 (b5)Shuffle Rating 2372Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Rescue the queen to g5Shuffle Rating 2454Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation

Core set

11. Pin: rook to d5 (d4)Shuffle Rating 2459Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Mate in 3: queen to f6 (f3·4)Shuffle Rating 2477Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Rescue the queen to d4Shuffle Rating 2462Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Win the hanging king on h7 (g8·3)Shuffle Rating 2473Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
15. Fork: queen to h5 (d1)Shuffle Rating 2476Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: knight to d4 (c2·4)Shuffle Rating 2400Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: pawn to d3 (d2·6)Shuffle Rating 2400Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: bishop to d5 (h1·21)Shuffle Rating 2400Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Trap the queen on c7Shuffle Rating 2461Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d8 (d3·4)Shuffle Rating 2400Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Chess960 tactic on c4 (c1·2)Shuffle Rating 2400Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Chess960 tactic on d4 (b3)Shuffle Rating 2400Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Chess960 tactic on g8 (g7·4)Shuffle Rating 2400Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Chess960 tactic on c6 (b5·3)Shuffle Rating 2400Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Chess960 tactic on g8 (e8)Shuffle Rating 2400Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Challenge

26. Chess960 tactic on f5 (f4)Shuffle Rating 2400Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
27. Chess960 tactic on h7 (f5·2)Shuffle Rating 2400Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
28. Chess960 tactic on e4 (d2)Shuffle Rating 2400Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Review

29. Chess960 tactic on b6 (f2)Shuffle Rating 2400Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
30. Chess960 tactic on e6 (d5·4)Shuffle Rating 2400Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation

Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!

Day 989 →