Knight endgame chess puzzles
20 knight endgame puzzles from real games, ordered from easy to hard. Each has a hint and the full solution.
What is a knight endgame in chess?
Knight endgames are like pawn endgames with knights: forks and tempo moves decide them, and a far-away passed pawn is especially strong because knights are slow.
How to spot a knight endgame
Look for knight forks of king and pawn, and for passed pawns on the wing the enemy knight cannot reach in time.
Learn it first: Minor-piece endings
Knight endgame chess puzzles
Puzzle 1: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 53... Nxg4.
Puzzle rating 554
Hint
Theme: promotion, advanced pawn, knight endgame
Show solution
54. f7 h5 55. f8=Q
FEN: 8/6K1/5P1p/8/6n1/4k3/8/8 w - - 0 54
Puzzle 2: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 73. Na3.
Puzzle rating 655
Hint
Theme: advanced pawn, knight endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
73... d3 74. Nb5 d2
FEN: 8/8/1p6/p1p5/P1Pp4/NK6/8/2k5 b - - 5 73
Puzzle 3: White to move and mate in 1
White to move and mate in 1. The opponent just played 54... Nf6.
Puzzle rating 834
Hint
Theme: mate in 1, knight endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
55. Nd4#
FEN: 8/7p/5np1/3p1k2/5P2/1N1K2PP/8/8 w - - 1 55
Puzzle 4: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 32... g5.
Puzzle rating 992
Hint
Theme: deflection, knight endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
33. Nc7+ Kf7 34. Nxd5
FEN: 8/7p/4k3/1N1p2p1/1ppKp3/6P1/6PP/8 w - - 0 33
Puzzle 5: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 42. Kc2.
Puzzle rating 1134
Hint
Theme: quiet move, exposed king, advanced pawn
Show solution
42... b4 43. Na5 b3+ 44. Kc3 b2
FEN: 8/pN6/8/1p4p1/2p5/6P1/k1K5/8 b - - 1 42
Puzzle 6: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 42. f7.
Puzzle rating 1253
Hint
Theme: sacrifice, quiet move, knight endgame
Show solution
42... Nxf7 43. Kxf7 a4 44. Nd5 a3
FEN: 8/5PKp/3n4/p7/8/1k2N1P1/7P/8 b - - 0 42
Puzzle 7: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 38. Na4.
Puzzle rating 1308
Hint
Theme: knight endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
38... Ng4 39. Nb6 Nxe3
FEN: 8/8/p1p2n2/P1Pp2pk/N2Pp3/4P1K1/6P1/8 b - - 4 38
Puzzle 8: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 48. Kb5.
Puzzle rating 1395
Hint
Theme: sacrifice, advanced pawn, knight endgame
Show solution
48... Nc3+ 49. Nxc3 f2
FEN: 8/4k3/2P1p2p/1K1nP3/4N3/5p1P/8/8 b - - 1 48
Puzzle 9: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 50. e5.
Puzzle rating 1539
Hint
Theme: defensive move, advanced pawn, knight endgame
Show solution
50... b2 51. Kc2 Ka2
FEN: 8/7P/p5n1/4P1N1/8/kpK5/8/8 b - - 0 50
Puzzle 10: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 48... Nf5+.
Puzzle rating 1667
Hint
Theme: defensive move, knight endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
49. Nxf5 exf5 50. Kc4
FEN: 8/5pp1/2kNp3/2P1Pn1p/3K1P2/6P1/8/8 w - - 4 49
Puzzle 11: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 44. Nb6.
Puzzle rating 1693
Hint
Theme: knight endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
44... axb6 45. axb6 Nc4+ 46. Ke4 Nxb6
FEN: 5k2/p1P2p1p/1N1n4/P7/8/4KP2/7P/8 b - - 2 44
Puzzle 12: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 44... Nxb7.
Puzzle rating 1884
Hint
Theme: defensive move, advanced pawn, knight endgame
Show solution
45. a6 Nc5 46. a7 Nd7 47. Kb5
FEN: 8/1n6/3p1p1k/P3p2p/2K5/8/P7/8 w - - 0 45
Puzzle 13: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 63. h5.
Puzzle rating 1951
Hint
Theme: deflection, promotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
63... Ne3 64. Nxe3 a1=Q+
FEN: 8/8/8/7P/2n5/2K3P1/p1N5/1k6 b - - 0 63
Puzzle 14: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 43... Nd5.
Puzzle rating 1980
Hint
Theme: knight endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
44. Nxd5 cxd5+ 45. Kc5 d4 46. Kb6
FEN: 8/5p2/p1p5/3nk2p/2K4P/1P2N3/2P3P1/8 w - - 7 44
Puzzle 15: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 65. g4+.
Puzzle rating 2157
Hint
Theme: defensive move, zugzwang, knight endgame
Show solution
65... Kf4 66. Nc4 Kf3 67. Ne3 Kxe3
FEN: 8/8/7p/5knP/6PK/8/3N4/8 b - - 0 65
Puzzle 16: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 66. Nxh4.
Puzzle rating 2204
Hint
Theme: hanging piece, defensive move, knight endgame
Show solution
66... Kxh2 67. Nf5 Kg1
FEN: 8/8/8/8/7N/6kp/K6N/8 b - - 0 66
Puzzle 17: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 46... Kxb3.
Puzzle rating 2290
Hint
Theme: advanced pawn, knight endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
47. Nc5+ Kc4 48. b6 Nd5 49. b7
FEN: 8/2n5/4p3/pP3ppp/N7/1k3PP1/3K3P/8 w - - 0 47
Puzzle 18: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 41. Nxg7.
Puzzle rating 2415
Hint
Theme: advanced pawn, knight endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
41... Kc3 42. Nf5 d2 43. Ke2 Ng1+
FEN: 8/6N1/7p/8/2k5/3pKPPn/8/8 b - - 0 41
Puzzle 19: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 42... a6.
Puzzle rating 2477
Hint
Theme: knight endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
43. b6 Nc6 44. Kxb7
FEN: 1n6/1pK2p2/p6p/1P3pk1/8/P6P/6P1/8 w - - 0 43
Puzzle 20: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 50. Ne2.
Puzzle rating 2742
Hint
Theme: quiet move, knight endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
50... f4 51. Kc3 f3 52. Ng3 Kf4
FEN: 8/8/1p2p3/5pk1/2P5/1p1K4/4N3/8 b - - 1 50