Promotion chess puzzles
20 promotion puzzles from real games, ordered from easy to hard. Each has a hint and the full solution.
What is a promotion in chess?
Promotion puzzles are about getting a pawn to the last rank and turning it into a queen (or another piece), often after a sacrifice that clears its path.
How to spot a promotion
Count how many moves the pawn needs and whether any enemy piece can stop it. Deflecting or blocking that single blocker is usually the key.
Learn it first: Promotion and en passant · Passed pawns and promotion races · Promotion tactics
Promotion chess puzzles
Puzzle 1: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 55... Qxg3+.
Puzzle rating 640
Hint
Theme: promotion, advanced pawn, endgame tactic
Show solution
56. Kxg3 Kxa2 57. g6 b3 58. g7 b2 59. g8=Q+
FEN: 8/8/8/6P1/1p6/k5q1/P6K/8 w - - 0 56
Puzzle 2: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 39. Bf4.
Puzzle rating 688
Hint
Theme: promotion, advanced pawn, endgame tactic
Show solution
39... Rxf4+ 40. gxf4 d1=Q+
FEN: 8/8/8/5p2/P4Br1/6P1/R2p3P/2k2K2 b - - 1 39
Puzzle 3: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 61... Kxg3.
Puzzle rating 786
Hint
Theme: quiet move, promotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
62. f5 h5 63. f6 h4 64. f7 h3 65. f8=Q
FEN: 8/8/2b4p/2P1K3/5P2/6k1/8/8 w - - 0 62
Puzzle 4: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 42... a1=Q+.
Puzzle rating 945
Hint
Theme: quiet move, promotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
43. Rxa1 Kxa1 44. f5 b5 45. f6 b4 46. f7 b3 47. f8=Q
FEN: 8/1pp5/7p/8/R4P2/8/1k4PP/q5K1 w - - 0 43
Puzzle 5: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 39. axb4.
Puzzle rating 1037
Hint
Theme: deflection, promotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
39... Bxb4+ 40. Kxd3 c1=Q
FEN: 5b2/3k3p/4R3/5pP1/1P1P1P2/1B1b2N1/2pK3P/8 b - - 0 39
Puzzle 6: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 43... Qc4+.
Puzzle rating 1139
Hint
Theme: promotion, advanced pawn, queen and rook endgame
Show solution
44. Rb3+ Kg4 45. a8=Q
FEN: 1R6/P7/6p1/7p/2q5/7k/K7/8 w - - 2 44
Puzzle 7: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 23... Ne5.
Puzzle rating 1194
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, discovered check, double check
Show solution
24. Qg8+ Rxg8 25. hxg8=Q#
FEN: r1br3k/1p3Q1P/p3pNp1/4nq2/3pN3/3P2p1/PP3P2/R4K1R w - - 1 24
Puzzle 8: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 57... Ke4.
Puzzle rating 1291
Hint
Theme: quiet move, defensive move, zugzwang
Show solution
58. Kg4 f5+ 59. Kg5 Ke3 60. Kxg6 Kxf4 61. h5 Kg4 62. h6 f4 63. h7 f3 64. h8=Q
FEN: 8/8/5pp1/8/4kP1P/6K1/8/8 w - - 2 58
Puzzle 9: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 53. Qa5.
Puzzle rating 1392
Hint
Theme: quiet move, promotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
53... Qxa5+ 54. Kxa5 f4 55. b4 f3 56. b5 f2 57. b6 f1=Q
FEN: 8/8/q7/Q4p2/K7/P1P3k1/1P6/8 b - - 2 53
Puzzle 10: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 64... Kg7.
Puzzle rating 1521
Hint
Theme: defensive move, promotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
65. e7 Rf6+ 66. Ke5 Rxf7 67. e8=Q
FEN: 8/5Pk1/1r2P1P1/5K2/8/8/8/8 w - - 1 65
Puzzle 11: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 54. g5.
Puzzle rating 1632
Hint
Theme: sacrifice, promotion, exposed king
Show solution
54... Rxh7 55. Rxh7 c2+ 56. Kxd2 c1=Q+
FEN: 7r/2R4P/8/6P1/8/2p5/1k1p4/3K4 b - - 0 54
Puzzle 12: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 78... Kh3.
Puzzle rating 1782
Hint
Theme: promotion, advanced pawn, endgame tactic
Show solution
79. c8=Q+ Kh2 80. Qc2
FEN: 5R2/p1P5/8/p7/P6p/1K4bk/6p1/8 w - - 1 79
Puzzle 13: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 40... Qf4.
Puzzle rating 1850
Hint
Theme: sacrifice, quiet move, promotion
Show solution
41. Qxf4 Rxf4 42. h5 Rg4 43. h6 Rxg5 44. h7 Rxg3 45. h8=Q
FEN: 8/1k1b1p2/p3p3/1n1pP1N1/1p1r1q1P/1P2Q1N1/PK5R/8 w - - 2 41
Puzzle 14: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 87. Qb3+.
Puzzle rating 1979
Hint
Theme: promotion, advanced pawn, queen and rook endgame
Show solution
87... Rc2+ 88. Kd7 f1=Q 89. Qb1+ Rc1
FEN: 8/2K5/3P4/8/8/1Q6/3r1p1p/3k4 b - - 3 87
Puzzle 15: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 53... Nxb4.
Puzzle rating 2025
Hint
Theme: quiet move, promotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
54. Bxb4 Kxb4 55. Kxc6 Kc4 56. b4 Kxd4 57. b5 Ke4 58. b6 d4 59. b7 d3 60. b8=Q
FEN: 8/8/2pK4/3p4/1nkP4/B7/1P6/8 w - - 0 54
Puzzle 16: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 62. c7.
Puzzle rating 2114
Hint
Theme: deflection, sacrifice, promotion
Show solution
62... Rxc7 63. Rxc7 f2+ 64. Kd2 f1=Q
FEN: 8/2P2R2/8/1P6/6p1/5p2/2r3k1/4K3 b - - 0 62
Puzzle 17: White to move and mate in 4
White to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 28... Rg7.
Puzzle rating 2222
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, discovered check, double check
Show solution
29. a7+ Ka8 30. Nc7+ Qxc7 31. Qe8+ Qb8 32. axb8=Q#
FEN: 1k6/1p1q2r1/P2p3p/1NpPpn1Q/5b2/2P5/1P2B1P1/R6K w - - 4 29
Puzzle 18: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 49... Rd7.
Puzzle rating 2334
Hint
Theme: promotion, underpromotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
50. Rh7+ Kf6 51. dxe7 Rd1 52. e8=N+
FEN: 8/1p1rpk2/p2P3R/P1p5/4KP2/8/8/8 w - - 1 50
Puzzle 19: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 54. Qf3.
Puzzle rating 2467
Hint
Theme: promotion, advanced pawn, queen endgame
Show solution
54... Kg5 55. Qxf4+ Kxf4 56. b4 axb4 57. a5 b3 58. a6 b2 59. a7 b1=Q
FEN: 8/8/8/p4p2/P4q1k/1P3Q2/5K2/8 b - - 1 54
Puzzle 20: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 50. Rg8.
Puzzle rating 2541
Hint
Theme: deflection, promotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
50... Rf8 51. Rxf8 g1=Q 52. Rg8 Qh2+
FEN: 3r2R1/5P2/p7/1p6/8/1P2Pk2/P1K3p1/8 b - - 4 50