Pawn endgame chess puzzles
20 pawn endgame puzzles from real games, ordered from easy to hard. Each has a hint and the full solution.
What is a pawn endgame in chess?
Pawn endgames have only kings and pawns. Every tempo counts, and ideas like opposition, the square of the pawn and breakthroughs decide them.
How to spot a pawn endgame
Count moves exactly: who queens first, and with check or not. Use the opposition and the rule of the square before moving.
Learn it first: Pawn endings: outside passer and breakthrough · Active king and triangulation
Pawn endgame chess puzzles
Puzzle 1: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 36. Kf3.
Puzzle rating 600
Hint
Theme: quiet move, zugzwang, pawn endgame
Show solution
36... d4 37. a3 d3
FEN: 8/8/p7/1p1p1k2/1P3P1p/5K1P/P7/8 b - - 2 36
Puzzle 2: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 38. fxe5.
Puzzle rating 726
Hint
Theme: defensive move, pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
38... dxe5 39. Ke4 Kd6
FEN: 8/8/2kp4/1p2P3/1P6/4K3/2P5/8 b - - 0 38
Puzzle 3: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 62... Kxh3.
Puzzle rating 940
Hint
Theme: quiet move, promotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
63. a4 Kxh4 64. a5 g5 65. a6 g4 66. a7 g3 67. a8=Q
FEN: 8/8/6p1/7p/7P/2K4k/P7/8 w - - 0 63
Puzzle 4: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 52. Kd1.
Puzzle rating 980
Hint
Theme: defensive move, advanced pawn, pawn endgame
Show solution
52... Kd3 53. Kc1 c2 54. Kb2 Kd2
FEN: 8/8/8/6p1/3k2P1/2p4P/5P2/3K4 b - - 2 52
Puzzle 5: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 43... Ke4.
Puzzle rating 1088
Hint
Theme: defensive move, pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
44. Kg4 Kd3 45. Kxg5 Kxc3 46. h4
FEN: 8/8/p1p5/1p1p2p1/1P1Pk3/P1P3KP/8/8 w - - 2 44
Puzzle 6: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 42... Kxg3.
Puzzle rating 1224
Hint
Theme: advanced pawn, pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
43. f5 exf5 44. e6 f4 45. e7
FEN: 8/p5p1/4p3/3pP2p/5P1P/K1P3k1/8/8 w - - 0 43
Puzzle 7: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 57. Kf5.
Puzzle rating 1347
Hint
Theme: zugzwang, pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
57... Kf7 58. h4 gxh4
FEN: 8/6k1/5p1p/4pKp1/4P1P1/5P1P/8/8 b - - 4 57
Puzzle 8: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 39... a5.
Puzzle rating 1469
Hint
Theme: quiet move, zugzwang, pawn endgame
Show solution
40. a4 Kc7 41. Ke6
FEN: 8/3k4/1p1p2p1/p1pK2P1/2P5/PP6/8/8 w - - 0 40
Puzzle 9: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 45. b3.
Puzzle rating 1597
Hint
Theme: zugzwang, pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
45... Kb6 46. Ka3 Ka5 47. Kb2 Kb4
FEN: 8/8/p1k5/2p4p/K1P1p2P/1P2P3/8/8 b - - 0 45
Puzzle 10: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 51... h6.
Puzzle rating 1698
Hint
Theme: quiet move, pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
52. gxh6 gxh6 53. f5 Kg5 54. Ke5 h5 55. f6
FEN: 8/6p1/7p/6P1/4KPk1/8/8/8 w - - 0 52
Puzzle 11: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 35... c5+.
Puzzle rating 1763
Hint
Theme: pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
36. bxc5+ bxc5+ 37. Ke4 g4 38. Kf5
FEN: 8/p7/1p1k3p/2p3p1/1PPK4/6P1/P6P/8 w - - 0 36
Puzzle 12: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 38... Kf6.
Puzzle rating 1853
Hint
Theme: defensive move, zugzwang, pawn endgame
Show solution
39. Kh6 Ke6 40. Kg6 Ke7 41. Kg7
FEN: 8/1p6/1p1p1k2/2p1p2K/P1P1P3/1P1P4/8/8 w - - 1 39
Puzzle 13: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 39. gxf4.
Puzzle rating 1953
Hint
Theme: defensive move, pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
39... gxh4 40. f5 Kc7
FEN: 8/8/1k1p3p/p2P2p1/1pK2P1P/1P3P2/1P6/8 b - - 0 39
Puzzle 14: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 46. Ke4.
Puzzle rating 2069
Hint
Theme: quiet move, pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
46... b4 47. h7 Kg7 48. h8=Q+ Kxh8
FEN: 8/8/5k1P/1pp5/3pK3/1P6/P7/8 b - - 2 46
Puzzle 15: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 33. Ke3.
Puzzle rating 2166
Hint
Theme: quiet move, pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
33... h4 34. Ke2 h3 35. Kf1 Kf5
FEN: 8/p7/2p1k3/4p1Pp/PPP5/4KPp1/8/8 b - - 1 33
Puzzle 16: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 46... gxf5.
Puzzle rating 2259
Hint
Theme: quiet move, defensive move, pawn endgame
Show solution
47. h5 f4 48. Kc1
FEN: 8/5pp1/8/1p3pP1/7P/1k6/8/1K6 w - - 0 47
Puzzle 17: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 43... Ka6.
Puzzle rating 2346
Hint
Theme: sacrifice, pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
44. f4 exf4 45. e5 f3 46. Kd3 fxe5 47. g5
FEN: 8/5p2/k1p2p1p/2P1p2P/2K1P1P1/5P2/8/8 w - - 2 44
Puzzle 18: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 57... c5.
Puzzle rating 2462
Hint
Theme: promotion, advanced pawn, pawn endgame
Show solution
58. bxc5+ Kxc5 59. Kc7 f5 60. g5 f4 61. gxh6 f3 62. h7 f2 63. h8=Q
FEN: 8/1K6/3k1p1p/2p4P/1P4P1/8/8/8 w - - 0 58
Puzzle 19: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 35... g5.
Puzzle rating 2510
Hint
Theme: en passant, pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
36. fxg6 Kg7 37. d4 Kxg6 38. dxc5
FEN: 6k1/8/1p1p1p1p/1PpP1Pp1/2P5/3P1K1P/8/8 w - g6 0 36
Puzzle 20: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 40... Ke6.
Puzzle rating 2590
Hint
Theme: pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
41. Kxa5 f5 42. exf5+
FEN: 8/8/4kp2/pKp1p1p1/P3P2p/5P1P/5P2/8 w - - 2 41