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Chess960 puzzles: Defensive exchange

Trade off the attacker — the storm dies with it.

The defensive exchange: your opponent's attack runs on one specific piece — trade it off, and the storm dies down. Find the "engine" of the attack, the piece without which the mating threats stop working: usually the queen or an invading knight. Offer the trade even at a small cost — your king breathes, and the material comes back later. The mistake is greedily dodging the exchange and getting mated a pawn up.

25 puzzles

Winning blow: knight to h5 (g3·2)
Shuffle Rating 920
Winning blow: rook to e2 (e1)
Shuffle Rating 920
Winning blow: rook to f2 (d2)
Shuffle Rating 920
Winning blow: bishop to h3 (g2)
Shuffle Rating 920
Winning blow: rook to e1 (a1·2)
Shuffle Rating 920
Winning blow: rook to e4 (e1·4)
Shuffle Rating 920
Winning blow: king to b2 (c1·5)
Shuffle Rating 920
Winning blow: king to a1 (a2)
Shuffle Rating 920
Winning blow: king to g5 (h4)
Shuffle Rating 1110
Winning blow: king to g1 (f1·21)
Shuffle Rating 1110
Winning blow: king to g6
Shuffle Rating 1110
Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e7 (h4·2)
Shuffle Rating 1150
Winning blow: rook to h3 (h1)
Shuffle Rating 1150
Winning blow: queen to a3 (a2·3)
Shuffle Rating 1150
Winning blow: king to h1 (g1·29)
Shuffle Rating 1200
Winning blow: bishop to c1 (g5)
Shuffle Rating 1200
Winning blow: rook to g8 (g1·12)
Shuffle Rating 1200
Winning blow: knight to f4 (e2·2)
Shuffle Rating 1200
Winning blow: king to b1 (c1·22)
Shuffle Rating 1250
Winning blow: king to a2 (b1·29)
Shuffle Rating 1250
Winning blow: king to b1 (c1·31)
Shuffle Rating 1250
Winning blow: queen to b4 (b8)
Shuffle Rating 1290
Winning blow: bishop to d2 (e1·6)
Shuffle Rating 1290
Winning blow: queen to c3 (g3·3)
Shuffle Rating 1340
12

Defence