Under-promotion and stalemate tricks
In short
Occasionally promoting to a queen allows stalemate or a decisive counter-check, while a knight or rook promotion wins. Always check the opponent’s reply to a queen promotion.
By the end you can
- Recognise when a queen promotion fails
- Use stalemate as a defensive resource
The lesson
Occasionally promoting to a queen allows stalemate or a decisive counter-check, while a knight or rook promotion wins. Always check the opponent’s reply to a queen promotion.
For the defender, stalemate is a weapon: with few pieces left, look for ways to have no legal moves while sacrificing your last active piece.
Key points to remember
- Check the reply to a queen promotion
- Knight promotion with check
- Stalemate as defence
Examples
Show the solution
30. Qxh6+ gxh6 31. g7+ Kh7 32. gxf8=N+ Kh8 33. Rg8#
Practise it
Solve puzzles on this idea: underpromotion puzzles.
Homework
10 under-promotion puzzles.
More tactics lessons
- Hanging pieces: take them and don’t leave them (Novice)
- Double attacks and forks (Novice)
- Pins: pieces that cannot move (Novice)
- Forks with every piece (Class F)
- Using and breaking pins (Class F)
- Skewers and x-rays (Class F)