# How to get better at chess calculation: the mate in 3 I missed in week 25

> Week 25: 1020 → 1038 in 22 ten-minute games (11 wins, 9 losses, 2 draws). A missed mate in 3, a six-game streak and the checks I didn't calculate.

- URL: https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey/week-2024-w26/
- Updated: 2026-10-22
- Author: Ignacio Soler

In week 25 (June 25–30, 2024) I played 22 rapid games, all at 10 minutes, and finished with **11 wins, 9
losses and 2 draws**, up from **1020 to 1038**. It included a six-game winning streak on June 26. But the game I keep thinking about is the first one of the week, where Stockfish found a **mate
in 3** that I didn't see, and I lost. If you've wondered how to get better at chess calculation, that one
position is the best case I have for where to start.

## The week in numbers

| | |
|---|---|
| Games | 22, all 10-minute rapid |
| Wins / losses / draws | 11 / 9 / 2 |
| Rating | 1020 → 1038 (+18) |
| Average accuracy | 79.1 % |
| Blunders (Stockfish) | 45 (opponents: 52) |
| Most played openings | London System (4), Indian Game (2), Accelerated London (2), Bishop's Opening (2) |

For once, Black was my better colour: 6 wins, 3 losses and a draw, against 5–6–1 with White. Wednesday,
June 26 was the good day, twelve games with 8 wins, 3 losses and a draw, including the six-game streak
from #608 to #613. My London setups were steady (London System 2–1–1, Accelerated London 2–0).

The rest was familiar. In seven games I had at least an 80 % chance of winning and didn't win. Seven of my
nine losses are logged as abandoned games. Game #614 against rudrabidave was a 66-move loss on time with 4
seconds left on my clock, from a position where my winning chance had peaked at 93.9 %. And the second
draw of the week was a stalemate, in game #627 against ECaris (1046). This time I was the one defending a king
and pawn ending, so stalemate saved me half a point, but only after I had let a position with a 95.4 %
winning chance slip earlier in the game.

## Three forcing moves

### Mate in 3, and I played a rook move

Game #607, White against madhusudhanbachalakuri (1046). Move 34, and Stockfish says White has a forced
mate in three.

> **Move 34: Black's king on h8 is boxed in by its own pawns and rook**
> Position (FEN): `6rk/6pp/8/5QP1/2pB1P2/2P1P1KP/rq6/3R1R2 w - - 0 34`
> Played: Rf2 — Rook from f1 to f2, attacking the queen with the rook on a2 behind it
> Better: Bxg7+ — Bishop takes g7 with check, a sacrifice that starts a mate in three

The mate goes 34.Bxg7+ Rxg7 35.Rd8+ Rg8 36.Qe5#, with the queen delivering mate on the long diagonal.
Every move is a check. The first one gives away my bishop, and I think that's exactly why I never looked
at it. Instead I played 34.Rf2, which attacks Black's queen on b2 with the rook on a2 behind it, a double
attack. But Black has an answer: 34...Qxf2+, taking my rook with check. My king can't take back, because
the queen on f2 is protected by the rook on a2 along the second rank. A forced mate became 0.00, about
equal, and I abandoned the game three moves later
([game on Chess.com](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107930470780)).

### A capture that attacks two pieces

Game #608, Black against Michelpaban (1001), in an East Indian Defense. About equal (+0.55), and White's
e4 pawn was within reach of my knight.

> **Move 13: my knight on f6 is blocking my own bishop on g7**
> Position (FEN): `r1b1qrk1/pp1n1pbp/5np1/3P2B1/2p1P3/P1N2N2/1PB2PPP/R2QK2R b KQ - 1 13`
> Played: b5 — Pawn from b7 to b5, but the pawn can be captured
> Better: Nxe4 — Knight takes the pawn on e4, attacking the knight on c3 and the bishop on g5

13...b5 supports my c4 pawn, but the b5 pawn itself can be taken. Stockfish preferred the capture
13...Nxe4. The knight takes a pawn, attacks White's knight on c3 and bishop on g5, and by leaving f6 it
opens the diagonal for my bishop on g7, which now also hits c3. One move, several threats. +0.55 became
+3.73 after b5, while 13...Nxe4 kept White's edge small. I won this game anyway, by checkmate
([game on Chess.com](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107945610826)).

### A check that let Black block with tempo

Game #609, White against Hilal_Ahmed (1028), in my Zukertort Chigorin setup. I was winning, +5.66, with my
queen on b7 in Black's camp.

> **Move 9: Black's knight on a5 has no defender**
> Position (FEN): `r2qkb1r/pQp2pp1/4p2p/n2p1b2/3PnB2/2P1PN2/PP1N1PPP/R3KB1R w KQkq - 1 9`
> Played: Qb5+ — Queen from b7 to b5, giving check and attacking the knight on a5
> Better: Qa6 — Queen from b7 to a6, attacking the knight on a5

9.Qb5+ looks like a perfect double attack: check, and the knight on a5 is attacked too. But Stockfish's
answer for Black is to block with 9...c6, and that pawn attacks my queen. Then I have to move the queen
again, and the knight is no longer simply lost. The evaluation fell from +5.66 to +2.12. 9.Qa6 attacks the same
knight without giving Black a useful block. My opponent blocked with 9...Nc6 instead, a blunder that
Stockfish scores at +9.73 for me. I won this one by checkmate after 70 moves
([game on Chess.com](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107947082098)).

## The lesson of the week

All three moments are about forcing moves: checks, captures and threats. I missed a sacrificial check, I
missed a capture with multiple threats, and I played a check without asking how Black could answer it.
So the method I'm taking from this week, as my own answer to how to get better at chess calculation, is
an order of search: **every check first, then every capture, then every threat**, for me and for my
opponent, and for each one the opponent's replies, including blocks that hit back. A sacrifice that
"loses" a piece still goes on the list. In game #607 the whole mate was three checks long, and I'd have
found it by looking at checks before anything else.

## All games this week

| Game # | Date | Colour | Opponent (rating) | Result | Opening | Accuracy | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 607 | Jun 25 | White | madhusudhanbachalakuri (1046) | Loss | Indian Game | 58.3 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107930470780) |
| 608 | Jun 26 | Black | Michelpaban (1001) | Win | Indian Game East Indian Defense | 93.2 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107945610826) |
| 609 | Jun 26 | White | Hilal_Ahmed (1028) | Win | Queens Pawn Opening Zukertort Chigorin Variation | 95.7 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107947082098) |
| 610 | Jun 26 | Black | sandysir2000 (1012) | Win | Center Game Accepted Normal Variation | 76.9 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107947292192) |
| 611 | Jun 26 | White | CJready (1014) | Win | Queens Pawn Opening Accelerated London System | 88.7 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107950003146) |
| 612 | Jun 26 | Black | Minasamuel9 (1045) | Win | Bishops Opening Boi Variation | 82.0 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107950080884) |
| 613 | Jun 26 | Black | CTXC17 (1050) | Win | Ruy Lopez Opening Cozio Defense | 86.4 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107950311506) |
| 614 | Jun 26 | White | rudrabidave (1091) | Loss | Queens Pawn Opening Zukertort Variation | 56.5 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107950364004) |
| 615 | Jun 26 | White | cashy79 (1025) | Win | English Defense | 89.1 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107952105508) |
| 616 | Jun 26 | Black | EmilioPV (1058) | Win | London System | 91.6 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107952215186) |
| 617 | Jun 26 | White | grechissimo (1090) | Draw | London System | 66.4 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107952256770) |
| 618 | Jun 26 | Black | highasakai (1070) | Loss | Scotch Game | 76.1 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107953573094) |
| 619 | Jun 26 | White | mmotiei (1074) | Loss | London System | 71.0 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107955938342) |
| 620 | Jun 27 | White | tomow12345 (1058) | Win | Queens Pawn Opening Accelerated London System | 97.1 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107959956486) |
| 621 | Jun 27 | Black | 666digiri (1050) | Loss | Kings Pawn Opening | 76.2 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107966873730) |
| 622 | Jun 27 | White | heckelphone (1052) | Loss | Queens Pawn Opening Horwitz Defense | 91.1 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107968120202) |
| 623 | Jun 27 | White | pepoegypty (1070) | Loss | Indian Game | 79.2 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107968991110) |
| 624 | Jun 28 | Black | totinaruto27 (1043) | Loss | Bishops Opening Boi Variation | 74.2 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/107977165226) |
| 625 | Jun 30 | Black | Lyan001 (1028) | Win | London System | 66.2 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/108015352868) |
| 626 | Jun 30 | White | cyberpunk15 (1021) | Win | Queens Pawn Opening Zukertort Variation | 92.5 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/108015493898) |
| 627 | Jun 30 | Black | ECaris (1046) | Draw | Giuoco Piano Game | 75.0 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/108015791604) |
| 628 | Jun 30 | White | brodieruss (1062) | Loss | Englund Gambit | 56.8 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/108016327588) |

Previous: [week 24](/journey/week-2024-w25/) · Next: [week 26](/journey/week-2024-w27/) · Overview:
[the journey hub](/journey/) · Find your own missed mates: [review your own games like
this](/features/ai-chess-analysis/).

## FAQ

### How do you get better at chess calculation?

Start with forcing moves: checks first, then captures, then threats. The mate in 3 I missed in game #607 began with a bishop check that gave up the bishop, and I never looked at it because it seemed to lose a piece.

### What are forcing moves in chess?

Moves your opponent has to answer right away: checks, captures and direct threats. All three key moments this week were about a forcing move, one I missed, one I didn't look for and one that backfired.

### Can giving check be a mistake?

Yes. In game #609 my 9.Qb5+ was check, but Black could block with 9...c6, which also attacks my queen. Stockfish says it cut my advantage from +5.66 to +2.12.

## Related

- [From 631 to 1385: my chess journey in 2,117 games](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey.md)
- [Week 24 (Jun 2024): the forks and loose pieces I kept missing](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey/week-2024-w25.md)
- [Week 26 (Jul 2024): new peak at 1112 on the way to 1200](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey/week-2024-w27.md)
- [Free AI chess analysis of your games, explained](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/features/ai-chess-analysis.md)