White to move · 2 moves · Rating 595
Find checkmate in 2 moves.
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38.Rf8+ Rg8 39.hxg8=Q#
Ponderchess / Puzzles
Promotion puzzles
50 promotion puzzles from real games, rated 595 to 2756. Here are 18, from easiest to hardest.
In these puzzles a pawn reaches, or is about to reach, the last rank and becomes a new piece, usually a queen. The tactic is often about clearing its path, deflecting the piece that blocks it, or winning the race against the opponent's pawn.
Promotion puzzles teach you how strong an advanced passed pawn is. Sometimes the right choice is a knight or rook instead of a queen, to give check or avoid stalemate.
How to solve them: Look at what stops the pawn: the blockader, the piece controlling the promotion square, the king nearby. Remove or distract that one defender and the pawn goes through.
New to the idea? Read Passed pawn in chess first.
18 promotion puzzles to solve
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White to move · 5 moves · Rating 793
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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74.Qe6+ Qxe6+ 75.Kxe6 b4 76.g6 b3 77.g7 b2 78.g8=Q
Black to move · 2 moves · Rating 1043
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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59...Rd1+ 60.Ke6 c1=Q
Black to move · 3 moves · Rating 1195
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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48...c2+ 49.Ka2 c1=Q 50.Rd7+ Ke2
Black to move · 3 moves · Rating 1346
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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46...e2+ 47.Kc2 e1=Q 48.Rxf4+ Kg2
Black to move · 2 moves · Rating 1361
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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53...Rxg7 54.Kxg7 e1=Q
Black to move · 3 moves · Rating 1474
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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57...cxd3 58.Rxh7 d2 59.Rf7 d1=Q
White to move · 3 moves · Rating 1549
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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51.Rg6 Rxg6 52.Kxg6 d3 53.g8=Q
White to move · 4 moves · Rating 1625
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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51.Kc5 f4 52.b6 f3 53.b7 f2 54.b8=Q
Black to move · 6 moves · Rating 1883
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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52...Rxe5 53.dxe5 Bxc3 54.Kg6 Bxe5 55.Kf5 c3 56.Kxe5 c2 57.g6 c1=Q
White to move · 3 moves · Rating 1900
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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25.Rxe2 Rxe2 26.d7 Rxd2 27.dxe8=Q+
Black to move · 4 moves · Rating 2134
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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51...Rf3+ 52.Ke5 Rg3 53.Rxg3 Kxg3 54.e7 g1=Q
White to move · 6 moves · Rating 2314
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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31.Kxe2 Ka4 32.e5 Kb3 33.e6 Kc2 34.e7 d3+ 35.Ke3 d2 36.e8=Q
White to move · 4 moves · Rating 2349
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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40.Be5+ Kxe5 41.c7 Rc2 42.e7 Rxc7 43.e8=Q+
Black to move · 3 moves · Rating 2439
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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61...Rxa7 62.Rxa7 f2+ 63.Kh2 f1=Q
Black to move · 4 moves · Rating 2513
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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16...dxe3 17.Nxf8 Rxa2 18.Rxa2 e2 19.Nd2 e1=Q+
White to move · 2 moves · Rating 2608
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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53.Ke2 Bxc5 54.b8=Q
White to move · 4 moves · Rating 2756
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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47.h7 c1=Q 48.h8=Q+ Kd3 49.Qh7+ Ke2 50.Re5+
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Positions from the open Lichess puzzle database (CC0).