Endgame tactic chess puzzles
20 endgame tactic puzzles from real games, ordered from easy to hard. Each has a hint and the full solution.
What is a endgame tactic in chess?
Endgame puzzles test precise technique with few pieces left: promoting pawns, winning races and finding the only drawing or winning move.
How to spot a endgame tactic
Activate your king, count tempi exactly and look for promotion tactics. In the endgame one tempo is often the whole game.
Learn it first: Converting extra material
Endgame tactic chess puzzles
Puzzle 1: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 35... Rd8.
Puzzle rating 587
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, back-rank mate, X-ray attack
Show solution
36. Rxd8+ Rxd8 37. Rxd8#
FEN: 2Rr2k1/5ppp/p2r4/1p2n3/1P6/P3P1P1/5PP1/3R2K1 w - - 2 36
Puzzle 2: White to move and mate in 1
White to move and mate in 1. The opponent just played 18... Qe6.
Puzzle rating 721
Hint
Theme: mate in 1, queenside attack, endgame tactic
Show solution
19. Qxc7#
FEN: 2krr3/1pp2Rpp/p3q3/3p4/1P6/P1Q1P2P/2P3P1/R5K1 w - - 1 19
Puzzle 3: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 38... b1=Q.
Puzzle rating 840
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, discovered check, double check
Show solution
39. Rxf8+ Kxf8 40. Qf7#
FEN: 5rk1/5R1p/5Kp1/4P3/2Q2P2/8/5q2/1q6 w - - 0 39
Puzzle 4: Black to move and mate in 2
Black to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 27. Qxa8.
Puzzle rating 901
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, back-rank mate, fork
Show solution
27... Qxf2+ 28. Kh1 Qxe1#
FEN: Q7/p1p4p/1b3pk1/4pq2/8/8/PPP2PPP/4R1K1 b - - 0 27
Puzzle 5: Black to move and mate in 3
Black to move and mate in 3. The opponent just played 21. Qg3.
Puzzle rating 991
Hint
Theme: mate in 3, back-rank mate, sacrifice
Show solution
21... Qd2+ 22. Kb1 Qd1+ 23. Rxd1 Rxd1#
FEN: 2k5/1p5p/p7/3r4/8/6Q1/PPP2qPP/2K4R b - - 1 21
Puzzle 6: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 38. Re7.
Puzzle rating 1143
Hint
Theme: advanced pawn, endgame tactic
Show solution
38... Rxe7 39. Nxe7 g3 40. Nd5 g2
FEN: 4r3/4R3/1p3pNk/p1p2P1p/6pP/8/PP6/1K6 b - - 1 38
Puzzle 7: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 21... Bxf4.
Puzzle rating 1166
Hint
Theme: intermezzo (zwischenzug), capturing the defender, endgame tactic
Show solution
22. Rxe4 Bxe4 23. Bxf4
FEN: 6k1/2p3pp/p4pb1/1p1p4/3Prb2/1NP4P/PP1B2P1/4R1K1 w - - 0 22
Puzzle 8: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 51... Kxg4.
Puzzle rating 1232
Hint
Theme: defensive move, advanced pawn, bishop endgame
Show solution
52. h6 Kf4 53. h7 Bc3 54. a5
FEN: 8/8/8/7P/P5k1/8/6K1/4b3 w - - 0 52
Puzzle 9: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 60. Kh6.
Puzzle rating 1430
Hint
Theme: skewer, queen and rook endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
60... Rh2+ 61. Kg6 Rg2+ 62. Kf7 Rxg8
FEN: 6Q1/1p5R/2p4K/4k3/8/8/3p1r2/8 b - - 2 60
Puzzle 10: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 45. Ke3.
Puzzle rating 1461
Hint
Theme: fork, queen and rook endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
45... Rxf3+ 46. Qxf3+ gxf3
FEN: 8/p1p5/2p4p/2Pp1k1P/1Pr2rp1/1R2KPQ1/8/8 b - - 5 45
Puzzle 11: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 40. exf5.
Puzzle rating 1602
Hint
Theme: pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
40... h5 41. Kf3 Kh6 42. Kg3 Kg5
FEN: 8/6k1/1p1p1p1p/pPpP1P2/P1P3P1/4K3/8/8 b - - 0 40
Puzzle 12: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 31... Rxf1.
Puzzle rating 1657
Hint
Theme: skewer, endgame tactic
Show solution
32. Rxf1+ Ke8 33. Qg8+ Kd7 34. Qxb8
FEN: 1r3k2/1b2p2p/pq1p2pP/2p3P1/2Q5/8/PPP5/2KR1r2 w - - 0 32
Puzzle 13: Black to move and mate in 2
Black to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 36. Rxg7.
Puzzle rating 1785
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, Arabian mate, X-ray attack
Show solution
36... Qxg1+ 37. Rxg1 Rxg1#
FEN: 6rk/p1Q3R1/7p/1P6/P2P4/2P2n1P/5q2/6RK b - - 0 36
Puzzle 14: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 59... Qf5.
Puzzle rating 1875
Hint
Theme: defensive move, advanced pawn, queen endgame
Show solution
60. Qg8+ Kf6 61. Qf8+ Kg5 62. Qxf5+ Kxf5 63. d6 Ke6 64. Kc6 h4 65. d7 Ke7 66. Kc7
FEN: 1Q6/8/6k1/2KP1q1p/8/8/8/8 w - - 15 60
Puzzle 15: Black to move and mate in 4
Black to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 32. Rg1.
Puzzle rating 2037
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, sacrifice, endgame tactic
Show solution
32... Qxg2+ 33. Rxg2 Rd1+ 34. Re1 Rxe1+ 35. Rg1 Bxf3#
FEN: 7k/p3RQp1/1pb4p/5pq1/1P6/P4P2/3r2PP/6RK b - - 3 32
Puzzle 16: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 34. Qb4.
Puzzle rating 2066
Hint
Theme: skewer, sacrifice, exposed king
Show solution
34... Nxf4+ 35. Kh2 Rh4+ 36. Kg3 Rh3+ 37. Kxf4 Rh4+ 38. Kf3 Rxb4
FEN: 8/1p3p2/pB2k1n1/3pPp2/PQ3Pr1/7K/P7/8 b - - 7 34
Puzzle 17: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 30... Rfd8.
Puzzle rating 2233
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, discovered attack, discovered check
Show solution
31. Bd3+ Kg8 32. Qxd8#
FEN: 3r3k/q4ppB/p3p3/1pN5/1P5Q/P5P1/6PK/3r4 w - - 3 31
Puzzle 18: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 48... Rc6.
Puzzle rating 2389
Hint
Theme: rook endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
49. Rxc6 Kxc6 50. gxh5
FEN: 8/8/2r2pp1/1k5p/2R3PP/2K2P2/8/8 w - - 3 49
Puzzle 19: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 35... f5.
Puzzle rating 2394
Hint
Theme: trapped piece, endgame tactic
Show solution
36. f3 Rxg3 37. fxe4
FEN: r5r1/1R6/p3p2p/3p1p1k/3Pq2P/6B1/P2Q1PP1/6K1 w - - 0 36
Puzzle 20: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 41... h4.
Puzzle rating 2632
Hint
Theme: advanced pawn, bishop endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
42. b6 hxg3 43. bxc7
FEN: 8/2b5/4p3/1PP5/2K1k1pp/6P1/7P/8 w - - 0 42