Bishop endgame chess puzzles
20 bishop endgame puzzles from real games, ordered from easy to hard. Each has a hint and the full solution.
What is a bishop endgame in chess?
Bishop endgames depend on pawn placement and the colour of the bishops. Bishops of opposite colours are often drawn even a pawn or two down.
How to spot a bishop endgame
Put your pawns on the opposite colour of your bishop, and look for zugzwang and passed pawns on both wings.
Learn it first: Minor-piece endings
Bishop endgame chess puzzles
Puzzle 1: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 51. Kxh3.
Puzzle rating 680
Hint
Theme: promotion, advanced pawn, bishop endgame
Show solution
51... e2 52. Kxg2 e1=Q
FEN: 8/2Pk4/8/8/8/1P2p2K/6p1/6B1 b - - 0 51
Puzzle 2: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 38... Ke4.
Puzzle rating 711
Hint
Theme: sacrifice, promotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
39. d6 Kxe5 40. d7 Kd6 41. d8=Q+
FEN: 8/1p6/p7/3PB3/4k3/P6p/6bK/8 w - - 1 39
Puzzle 3: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 55... Kf4.
Puzzle rating 900
Hint
Theme: bishop endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
56. Bxc7 Bxc7 57. Kxc7
FEN: 3B4/2p5/p1Kb4/1p6/1P3k2/P7/8/8 w - - 6 56
Puzzle 4: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 53. Bc6.
Puzzle rating 916
Hint
Theme: promotion, advanced pawn, bishop endgame
Show solution
53... g2 54. a7 g1=Q 55. a8=Q Qc1+
FEN: 8/2k2b2/P1B5/2Kp1Pp1/3P4/6p1/8/8 b - - 1 53
Puzzle 5: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 65... Ke7.
Puzzle rating 1047
Hint
Theme: defensive move, promotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
66. Kg7 Bf6+ 67. Kg8 Ke6 68. f8=Q
FEN: 8/4kP2/6Kp/6b1/8/8/8/8 w - - 1 66
Puzzle 6: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 60... Ke2.
Puzzle rating 1252
Hint
Theme: advanced pawn, bishop endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
61. e6 Bd5 62. e7 Bc6 63. Kxg4
FEN: 8/5p2/3B1P2/4P3/p5p1/P4bK1/4k3/8 w - - 12 61
Puzzle 7: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 45. Ke6.
Puzzle rating 1317
Hint
Theme: sacrifice, promotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
45... b3 46. Kxd6 b2 47. f5 b1=Q
FEN: 8/8/p2bK2B/8/kp3P2/7P/8/8 b - - 1 45
Puzzle 8: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 63... Kg4.
Puzzle rating 1433
Hint
Theme: defensive move, bishop endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
64. Kg6 Bc3 65. Kxh6 Bd2+ 66. Kg6
FEN: 8/8/2B2K1p/4p2P/4P1k1/8/8/b7 w - - 1 64
Puzzle 9: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 57. Kc2.
Puzzle rating 1572
Hint
Theme: bishop endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
57... Kf6 58. Kd3 Kg5 59. Ke2 Kxg4
FEN: 8/8/4k2p/p1p1p3/PpP1PbPp/1P6/1BK3P1/8 b - - 2 57
Puzzle 10: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 58. Bg1.
Puzzle rating 1668
Hint
Theme: bishop endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
58... Be1 59. Bh2 Bf2 60. Ke2 Bxd4
FEN: 8/8/4p1p1/b2k1p1p/3P1P1P/3K2P1/8/6B1 b - - 8 58
Puzzle 11: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 54. Be5.
Puzzle rating 1751
Hint
Theme: defensive move, bishop endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
54... g4+ 55. Kg2 Kg5
FEN: 8/8/8/4Bppk/7p/7K/8/8 b - - 3 54
Puzzle 12: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 49... Bc3.
Puzzle rating 1810
Hint
Theme: bishop endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
50. Bxc3 bxc3 51. Ke3 c2 52. Kd2 Kxd4 53. Kxc2
FEN: 8/8/4p1p1/3k4/1p1P2P1/1Pb2K2/1B6/8 w - - 4 50
Puzzle 13: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 56. Bb1.
Puzzle rating 1928
Hint
Theme: interference, bishop endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
56... d3 57. Ke4 Kxg6
FEN: 8/6p1/5kP1/1p5p/1Ppp1K1P/8/8/1B6 b - - 4 56
Puzzle 14: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 56... Be3.
Puzzle rating 2044
Hint
Show solution
57. c5+ Kc3 58. c6
FEN: 8/8/1p3p2/p2BPP2/2P3K1/1k2b1p1/8/8 w - - 1 57
Puzzle 15: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 50. a4.
Puzzle rating 2093
Hint
Theme: advanced pawn, bishop endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
50... f2 51. Bg2 Kf4 52. Kc5 Kg3
FEN: 8/8/1KB4p/1P2k3/P6P/5p2/4b3/8 b - - 0 50
Puzzle 16: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 74... Bb3+.
Puzzle rating 2224
Hint
Theme: defensive move, bishop endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
75. Kb1 a2+ 76. Kc1
FEN: 8/8/7P/8/k1p5/pbB5/K7/8 w - - 8 75
Puzzle 17: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 48... Ba8.
Puzzle rating 2249
Hint
Theme: trapped piece, defensive move, advanced pawn
Show solution
49. b7 Bxb7 50. axb7 Kc7 51. Kg2
FEN: b7/8/PP1k3p/4p1p1/8/6P1/5P1P/6K1 w - - 1 49
Puzzle 18: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 35. Bg4.
Puzzle rating 2420
Hint
Theme: quiet move, bishop endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
35... g5+ 36. Kf5 Bb3 37. e6 Bxe6+
FEN: 8/4kpp1/7p/4P3/4PKB1/6P1/7P/3b4 b - - 1 35
Puzzle 19: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 53. Ke6.
Puzzle rating 2478
Hint
Theme: sacrifice, zugzwang, advanced pawn
Show solution
53... Kg5 54. Kd5 Kf4 55. Kxc5 Kf3 56. Kxb4 g2
FEN: 8/8/4Kp1k/2p5/1p5p/1P4pB/P7/8 b - - 3 53
Puzzle 20: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 40. h4.
Puzzle rating 2551
Hint
Theme: deflection, bishop endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
40... f4 41. gxf4 gxh4
FEN: 8/p7/8/1Bk2ppp/P1P1b2P/2K3P1/8/8 b - - 0 40