← Motify

The archive

The motif of the day

One famous combination a day, the same position for everybody, changing at midnight UTC. Every one of them is checked by Stockfish at depth 22 before it goes in: the famous move has to actually be the best move by a clear margin, which is why some celebrated games are not here. 

  1. . . . . k b . r
p . . n . p p p
. . . . q . . .
. . . . p . B .
. . . . P . . .
. Q . . . . . .
P P P . . P P P
. . K R . . . .
     Morphy vs Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard Paris Opera House, 1858 White to play · Mate in 2 
  2. . r . . k . r .
p b p p n p . p
. b n . . P . .
. . . . . . . .
Q . . . . . . .
B . P B . q . .
P . . . . P P P
. . . R R . K .
     Anderssen vs Dufresne Berlin, 1852, the Evergreen Game White to play · Winning material 
  3. r n b . k b . r
p p . . . p p p
. . p . . . . .
. . . . q . . .
. . . . n . . .
. . . Q . . . .
P P P B . P P P
. . K R . B N R
     Réti vs Tartakower Vienna, 1910 White to play · Mate in 3 
  4. r . . . . r k .
. b . . b p p p
p p q . p . . .
. . p p B . . n
. . . . . P . .
. P . B P . . .
P . P P Q . P P
R . . . . R K .
     Lasker vs Bauer Amsterdam, 1889 White to play · Winning material 
  5. . . r r . . k .
. b . . . p p p
p b . . p . . .
. p . . P . . .
. P . . B P n q
P . N . . . P .
. B . . Q . . P
R . . . . R . K
     Rotlewi vs Rubinstein Łódź, 1907, Rubinstein's Immortal Black to play · Winning material 
  6. r . . . r . k .
p p . . . p b p
. q p . . . p .
. . B . . . . .
. . B P . . b .
Q . n . . N . .
P . . . . P P P
. . . R . K . R
     Donald Byrne vs Fischer New York, 1956, the Game of the Century Black to play · Winning material 
  7. . . . r . . k .
p . . . . p p p
. q . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
. . R . P . . .
P . . . Q P P P
. . . . . . K .
     Bernstein vs Capablanca Moscow, 1914 Black to play · Winning material 
  8. r n . . . r k .
p b p p q . p p
. p . . p b . .
. . . . N . . Q
. . . P N . . .
. . . B . . . .
P P P . . P P P
R . . . K . . R
     Edward Lasker vs Sir George Thomas London, 1912 White to play · Mate in 8 
  9. r . . . r n k .
p b . . . p p .
. . . p p . . p
. q . . . . B Q
. P . P . . . .
. . . . N . R .
P . . . . P P P
. . . . R . K .
     Torre vs Emanuel Lasker Moscow, 1925, the Windmill White to play · Winning material 
  10. r . r . k . . .
p p . q n . . p
. . . . . p p .
. . . p . . N .
. . . . . . Q .
. . . . . . . .
P P . . . P P P
. . R . R . K .
     Steinitz vs von Bardeleben Hastings, 1895 White to play · Winning material 
  11. . . . . . . . .
p . . . q . k p
. p . . P n p .
. . . p Q . . .
. . p P . . . .
. n P . . . N .
. B . . . . P P
. . . . . . K .
     Botvinnik vs Capablanca AVRO, 1938 White to play · Winning material 
  12. . . . . r . k .
p . p b . p p p
Q b p . r . . .
. . . . . . . .
. P . . . . . .
. . P q . B . .
R . . P . P P P
. . B . . R K .
     Paulsen vs Morphy New York, 1857 Black to play · Winning material 
  13. . . k r . . n r
p p . n . p p p
. . p . p . . .
q . . . . . . .
. b . P . B . .
P . N . . Q . P
. P P . B P P .
R . . . K . . R
     Canal vs an amateur Budapest, 1934, the Peruvian Immortal White to play · Winning material 
  14. . . . r . b . k
p p q . . B p p
. . p . . . . .
. . P . . Q . .
. . . . . . . .
. P . . . . P .
P . . . . . . P
. . . . . R K .
     Réti vs Bogoljubov New York, 1924 White to play · Winning material 
  15. . . r . . . . k
p b . . q . . P
. p . . . . . .
. . . P p . . .
. . . . p . . .
. P . . R . . .
P B r Q . . P P
. . . . . R K .
     Zukertort vs Blackburne London, 1883 White to play · Winning material 
  16. . r . . . . n k
. p . q b . . p
. . . p . r . .
p . p P p . . .
. . P . P p . .
. . . . . P . P
P P . Q N B R K
. . . . . R . .
     Averbakh vs Kotov Zurich, 1953 Black to play · Winning material 
  17. r n . q r b k .
. p p . . p p p
. . . . . . . .
p . . b p . . .
Q . . . . . . .
P . . P B N P .
. P R . P P B P
. . R . . . K .
     Botvinnik vs Portisch Monte Carlo, 1968 White to play · Winning material

Every combination here is an example of a pattern with a name. Chess tactics, explained is one page for each of them, the fork, the smothered mate, the windmill, with a dozen positions apiece to find them in.

The daily is the part of Motify that is the same for everybody. The rest of it reads your own lichess and Chess.com games, finds the tactics you missed, and gives them back as puzzles. Try Motify on your own games.