Kingside attack chess puzzles
20 kingside attack puzzles from real games, ordered from easy to hard. Each has a hint and the full solution.
What is a kingside attack in chess?
Kingside attack puzzles are about breaking through to a king castled on the kingside, usually with sacrifices on h7, g7, f7 or the pawns in front of them.
How to spot a kingside attack
Count attackers against defenders near the king. Typical keys are a bishop sacrifice on h7, a rook lift to the third rank, or a pawn storm to open files.
Learn it first: Attacking the castled king · Attacks with opposite-side castling · Attack and defence at master level
Kingside attack chess puzzles
Puzzle 1: White to move and mate in 1
White to move and mate in 1. The opponent just played 31... Qxe8.
Puzzle rating 482
Hint
Theme: mate in 1, hanging piece, kingside attack
Show solution
32. Qxe8#
FEN: 4q2k/nr4p1/pp1p3p/2pP1BbQ/1PP5/P7/5P1P/6K1 w - - 0 32
Puzzle 2: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 27. Ng5.
Puzzle rating 705
Hint
Theme: discovered attack, kingside attack, middlegame tactic
Show solution
27... Bh2+ 28. Kh1 Rxe1
FEN: 4r1k1/2q1r2p/1p4p1/p1ppb1N1/P6Q/2P4P/1P3PP1/4RRK1 b - - 1 27
Puzzle 3: Black to move and mate in 2
Puzzle 4: White to move and mate in 2
Puzzle 5: White to move and mate in 2
Puzzle 6: White to move and mate in 3
White to move and mate in 3. The opponent just played 18... Rxa4.
Puzzle rating 1133
Hint
Theme: mate in 3, epaulette mate, kingside attack
Show solution
19. Qxf7+ Kh7 20. Qf5+ g6 21. Qf7#
FEN: 3q2kr/4bpp1/3p3p/3Qp3/r1B1P3/7P/1PP2PP1/4K2R w K - 0 19
Puzzle 7: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 19... h6.
Puzzle rating 1241
Hint
Show solution
20. Nf6+ Nxf6 21. exf6 hxg5 22. fxe7
FEN: r1n2rk1/pp2qpp1/2p1p2p/4P1Nn/3PN3/8/PP3PPP/RQ3RK1 w - - 0 20
Puzzle 8: White to move and mate in 5
White to move and mate in 5. The opponent just played 24... Rf8.
Puzzle rating 1352
Hint
Theme: sacrifice, kingside attack, middlegame tactic
Show solution
25. Qxf7+ Rxf7 26. Rb8+ Qd8 27. Rxd8+ Be8 28. Rxe8+ Rf8 29. Rfxf8#
FEN: 5rk1/5ppp/p1b1p3/q1p1P1P1/2P1r3/5Q2/P5PP/1RB2R1K w - - 3 25
Puzzle 9: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 17... Kh8.
Puzzle rating 1504
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, Anastasia’s mate, attraction (decoy)
Show solution
18. Qxh7+ Kxh7 19. Rh3#
FEN: r1bq1r1k/p2pNppp/8/2p5/2pnQ3/4R3/PP3PPP/R5K1 w - - 2 18
Puzzle 10: White to move and mate in 5
White to move and mate in 5. The opponent just played 21... Nxe3.
Puzzle rating 1524
Hint
Theme: deflection, kingside attack, middlegame tactic
Show solution
22. Qh7+ Kf7 23. Bg6+ Kf6 24. Ne4+ Ke7 25. Qxg7+ Rf7 26. Qxf7#
FEN: r2q1rk1/2pb2p1/3p3p/p1pPp3/2P3Pb/P1NQnP1P/1PB2R2/R5K1 w - - 0 22
Puzzle 11: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 23... Qd2.
Puzzle rating 1672
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, discovered attack, discovered check
Show solution
24. Ne6+ Rg7 25. Qxg7#
FEN: r5k1/pp2prN1/3p2Qp/3b4/3B1P2/4n1NP/P2q2P1/R5K1 w - - 1 24
Puzzle 12: Black to move and mate in 3
Black to move and mate in 3. The opponent just played 26. Rc7.
Puzzle rating 1733
Hint
Theme: mate in 3, sacrifice, kingside attack
Show solution
26... Rxg3+ 27. fxg3 Qxg3+ 28. Kf1 Qg2#
FEN: r5k1/ppR3b1/3pN3/3Pp1Bp/1P2Pnq1/5rP1/P4P2/3QR1K1 b - - 6 26
Puzzle 13: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 21... Nxh7.
Puzzle rating 1865
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, deflection, sacrifice
Show solution
22. Rg8+ Rxg8 23. Nxf7#
FEN: rn1q1r1k/p4pRn/4p3/2p1N3/3P1p2/7P/PpP2P2/1K4R1 w - - 0 22
Puzzle 14: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 16. Rxe4.
Puzzle rating 1905
Hint
Theme: intermezzo (zwischenzug), kingside attack, middlegame tactic
Show solution
16... Bxf2+ 17. Kxf2 Qxe4
FEN: r4rk1/p4ppp/2p5/n1bq4/N3R3/8/PPPP1PPP/R1BQ2K1 b - - 0 16
Puzzle 15: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 25... f5.
Puzzle rating 2000
Hint
Theme: pin, en passant, exposed king
Show solution
26. exf6 Qxf6 27. Rg4+ Kf7 28. Rf4 Ke7 29. Rxf6
FEN: 3r1rk1/4q3/1p2p2Q/p1p1Pp2/1n1PR2P/6P1/PP3P2/R5K1 w - f6 0 26
Puzzle 16: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 27... Rf6.
Puzzle rating 2163
Hint
Theme: discovered attack, kingside attack, middlegame tactic
Show solution
28. Rxe5 dxe5 29. Qxf6+
FEN: 6qk/pp5p/3p1rp1/4n1R1/4PN1Q/8/PPr3PP/5RK1 w - - 2 28
Puzzle 17: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 28... h6.
Puzzle rating 2248
Hint
Theme: exposed king, kingside attack, middlegame tactic
Show solution
29. Qf7+ Kh8 30. Bf6 Rg8 31. Rxe7 Qxe7 32. Qxe7 a2 33. Ba1 Rae8 34. Bxg7+ Rxg7 35. Qxe8+
FEN: r3r1k1/1pq1p1b1/3p2Pp/2pP1Q2/2P4B/p6P/2P2P2/4R1K1 w - - 0 29
Puzzle 18: White to move and mate in 4
White to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 23... Bf6.
Puzzle rating 2295
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, sacrifice, kingside attack
Show solution
24. Qh7+ Kf8 25. Nxg6+ fxg6 26. Bh6+ Bg7 27. Qxg7#
FEN: r2qr1k1/5p2/2pp1bp1/p5B1/Pp2nNbQ/1P1P4/1P3PP1/R3K2R w KQ - 2 24
Puzzle 19: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 23... Kh8.
Puzzle rating 2411
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, sacrifice, kingside attack
Show solution
24. Qg8+ Rxg8 25. Nf7#
FEN: r2q1r1k/p6p/3N2R1/3Q1pb1/1np5/8/PP3PPP/R5K1 w - - 1 24
Puzzle 20: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 24. Qh4.
Puzzle rating 2637
Hint
Theme: sacrifice, kingside attack, endgame tactic
Show solution
24... Rg6 25. g3 Qf3 26. Bd4 Rxg3+ 27. fxg3 g5 28. Rf1 Qe2 29. Bxc5 gxh4
FEN: 2k5/1q3pp1/1p2p2r/pPb1P2p/P1P4Q/7P/1B3PP1/R5K1 b - - 2 24