Advanced pawn chess puzzles
20 advanced pawn puzzles from real games, ordered from easy to hard. Each has a hint and the full solution.
What is a advanced pawn in chess?
These puzzles feature a pawn on the sixth or seventh rank that is close to promoting and creates decisive threats.
How to spot a advanced pawn
A pawn two steps from queening ties down enemy pieces. Look for checks or sacrifices that remove the one piece stopping it.
Learn it first: Passed pawns and promotion races · Promotion tactics
Advanced pawn chess puzzles
Puzzle 1: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 60... bxc6+.
Puzzle rating 630
Hint
Theme: advanced pawn, bishop endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
61. Kxc6 Bf2 62. b7
FEN: 8/2B5/kPp3p1/3K4/7b/8/8/8 w - - 0 61
Puzzle 2: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 52... Qxd8+.
Puzzle rating 708
Hint
Theme: promotion, advanced pawn, endgame tactic
Show solution
53. Kxd8 g3 54. c7 g2 55. c8=Q+
FEN: 2Kq4/8/2P1k2p/5p1P/6p1/8/8/8 w - - 0 53
Puzzle 3: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 37... Bxb3.
Puzzle rating 903
Hint
Theme: promotion, advanced pawn, endgame tactic
Show solution
38. c7 Bxc4 39. c8=Q
FEN: 8/5k1p/2Pp4/p2N2p1/2P2p2/1b6/6PP/7K w - - 0 38
Puzzle 4: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 54... Bd6.
Puzzle rating 948
Hint
Theme: advanced pawn, bishop endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
55. e7 Bxe7 56. Bxe7
FEN: 8/8/p1pbP3/Pp4B1/1P1P2pK/5k2/8/8 w - - 1 55
Puzzle 5: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 26... Kh8.
Puzzle rating 1040
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, promotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
27. Qg8+ Rxg8 28. fxg8=Q#
FEN: 5r1k/1pp2P1p/1b6/4q3/p5Q1/1B6/P5P1/5K2 w - - 2 27
Puzzle 6: Black to move and mate in 2
Puzzle 7: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 54... Kf7.
Puzzle rating 1320
Hint
Theme: advanced pawn, knight endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
55. e6+ Kxe6 56. h7
FEN: 8/1p3k2/p6P/4P3/1n6/8/2pK4/8 w - - 1 55
Puzzle 8: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 54. d6+.
Puzzle rating 1428
Hint
Theme: hanging piece, promotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
54... Kxe6 55. Kc6 b1=Q
FEN: 8/4kN2/3PB3/1K6/8/8/PpP5/8 b - - 0 54
Puzzle 9: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 25. e8=Q.
Puzzle rating 1523
Hint
Theme: clearance, promotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
25... Rxe8 26. Bxe8 Bf4+ 27. Rxf4 c1=Q
FEN: r3Q3/pp1B1Rpk/6p1/8/6P1/6KP/P1p5/2b5 b - - 0 25
Puzzle 10: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 53... Bg2.
Puzzle rating 1611
Hint
Theme: promotion, advanced pawn, bishop endgame
Show solution
54. b6 Kh3 55. b7 Bxh1 56. b8=Q
FEN: 8/8/8/1P6/4p3/1P2K1k1/6bp/7B w - - 1 54
Puzzle 11: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 65. Rd4.
Puzzle rating 1729
Hint
Theme: promotion, exposed king, advanced pawn
Show solution
65... Na2+ 66. Kd1 c2+ 67. Kd2 c1=Q+
FEN: 8/8/8/8/1n1R4/1kpp1B2/8/2K5 b - - 9 65
Puzzle 12: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 27. Rxf2.
Puzzle rating 1913
Hint
Theme: fork, clearance, advanced pawn
Show solution
27... e3 28. Rxf8 exd2 29. Rxa8 Qe3
FEN: r4r2/1p4kp/pq4p1/3p4/4p3/1NP5/PP1Q1RKP/R7 b - - 0 27
Puzzle 13: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 34. Qc2.
Puzzle rating 1989
Hint
Theme: attraction (decoy), promotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
34... Rxb1+ 35. Kh2 Rh1+ 36. Kxh1 Ra1+ 37. Kh2 b1=Q
FEN: r5k1/5pp1/7p/8/3P4/2P4P/1pQ2PP1/rR4K1 b - - 5 34
Puzzle 14: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 34... a5.
Puzzle rating 2063
Hint
Theme: sacrifice, en passant, advanced pawn
Show solution
35. bxa6 Rxb7 36. axb7
FEN: 8/1Q3pk1/3p1rp1/pP1P3p/1r3P2/6PK/7P/8 w - a6 0 35
Puzzle 15: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 43... Rf7.
Puzzle rating 2148
Hint
Show solution
44. Rxf7 Qxf7 45. e6 Qb7 46. f3 Qe7 47. d5 Kg8 48. d6 Qxd6 49. e7
FEN: 7k/p4rp1/4q2p/1p2P3/2pPRR2/P5P1/1P3PKP/8 w - - 9 44
Puzzle 16: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 28... Nf5.
Puzzle rating 2230
Hint
Theme: discovered check, double check, promotion
Show solution
29. f7+ Kf8 30. Nxe6+ Ke7 31. f8=Q+
FEN: r5k1/p1p4R/1p2pPp1/5nN1/6K1/6P1/1P1r4/8 w - - 3 29
Puzzle 17: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 46. c5.
Puzzle rating 2319
Hint
Theme: promotion, advanced pawn, endgame tactic
Show solution
46... Qe2 47. Qxe2 fxe2 48. c6 e1=Q
FEN: 8/3n1k1p/3P1p2/2P5/3Bp3/5p1P/2Q3PK/5q2 b - - 0 46
Puzzle 18: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 25... Qxc3.
Puzzle rating 2430
Hint
Theme: sacrifice, attacking f2/f7, advanced pawn
Show solution
26. Nxf5 gxf5 27. Qg8+ Nf8 28. Qxf7+ Kd8 29. e7+
FEN: 2r1k3/3n1p2/p3P1p1/1p1p1pQp/3P3P/2q3N1/6P1/5RK1 w - - 0 26
Puzzle 19: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 42... Rh8.
Puzzle rating 2520
Hint
Theme: promotion, underpromotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
43. Nxe6+ Kf7 44. d8=N+
FEN: 7r/pp1Pb1k1/4p1p1/3pR1N1/3P2KQ/1P4P1/8/5q2 w - - 4 43
Puzzle 20: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 50. Kxa5.
Puzzle rating 2769
Hint
Theme: quiet move, promotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
50... Qc5+ 51. Qxc5+ Kxc5 52. Ka6 f5 53. a5 f4 54. Kb7 f3 55. a6 f2 56. a7 f1=Q 57. a8=Q Qf7+
FEN: 2Q5/8/3k1p2/K7/P7/8/8/6q1 b - - 0 50