Quiet move chess puzzles
20 quiet move puzzles from real games, ordered from easy to hard. Each has a hint and the full solution.
What is a quiet move in chess?
A quiet move is a strong move that is not a check, capture or direct threat, yet it decides the position, often by making a threat the opponent cannot stop.
How to spot a quiet move
When checks and captures don’t work, ask what one move would leave the opponent unable to meet your threats. These moves are easy to miss because they look calm.
Learn it first: Candidate moves · Reading a position: the imbalances · Quiet moves and defensive moves · A full thinking routine · Prophylaxis: what does my opponent want? · A calculation method for hard positions · Recognising critical moments at the board · Decision-making in critical positions
Quiet move chess puzzles
Puzzle 1: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 80. Ng8.
Puzzle rating 653
Hint
Theme: quiet move, defensive move, knight endgame
Show solution
80... h5 81. Ne7 h4
FEN: 6N1/8/7p/6k1/8/K7/8/8 b - - 2 80
Puzzle 2: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 51. a3.
Puzzle rating 953
Hint
Theme: quiet move, pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
51... e4 52. f7 Ke7 53. f8=Q+ Kxf8 54. Kxc5 e3
FEN: 8/8/3k1P2/p1p1pP1p/P1K4P/P7/8/8 b - - 0 51
Puzzle 3: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 49... f3.
Puzzle rating 1148
Hint
Theme: sacrifice, quiet move, endgame tactic
Show solution
50. a5 f2 51. Bxf2 Nxf2 52. a6
FEN: 8/8/8/1K1k4/P1p3n1/2P2p2/8/6B1 w - - 0 50
Puzzle 4: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 54. f3.
Puzzle rating 1337
Hint
Theme: quiet move, promotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
54... h4 55. Kg5 Kg3 56. f4 h3 57. f5 h2 58. f6 h1=Q
FEN: 8/8/8/7p/5K2/5P1k/8/8 b - - 0 54
Puzzle 5: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 42... Kg3.
Puzzle rating 1426
Hint
Theme: quiet move, pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
43. f5 Kg4 44. f6 gxf6+ 45. gxf6
FEN: 8/6pp/8/p1p1K1P1/P1P2P2/6k1/8/8 w - - 4 43
Puzzle 6: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 43... c4.
Puzzle rating 1645
Hint
Theme: quiet move, defensive move, exposed king
Show solution
44. h5 a5 45. g6+ Bxg6 46. hxg6+ Kxg6 47. Ke6
FEN: 8/p4k2/5P2/4K1P1/2p4P/2Pb4/8/8 w - - 0 44
Puzzle 7: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 39... a5.
Puzzle rating 1712
Hint
Theme: quiet move, zugzwang, pawn endgame
Show solution
40. a4 Kd6 41. Kf5 Kc5 42. Kxg5
FEN: 8/8/1p2k3/p5p1/2P1K1P1/P7/8/8 w - - 0 40
Puzzle 8: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 37. fxg5.
Puzzle rating 1879
Hint
Theme: quiet move, zugzwang, bishop endgame
Show solution
37... fxg5 38. a4 bxa4 39. h6 a6 40. Ba3 Ka2
FEN: 8/p6p/5p2/1p4PP/1P4P1/P7/2pK4/1kB5 b - - 0 37
Puzzle 9: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 18... Kg8.
Puzzle rating 1986
Hint
Theme: quiet move, middlegame tactic
Show solution
19. Re8+ Kg7 20. Rae1 Nc6 21. Rxa8
FEN: rn4k1/ppp1R2p/3p2p1/5bB1/8/1PP5/P1r2PPP/R5K1 w - - 4 19
Puzzle 10: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 11... Qxe4.
Puzzle rating 1993
Hint
Theme: pin, quiet move, middlegame tactic
Show solution
12. Qxe4+ Nxe4 13. Re1 d5 14. f3 Nd4 15. Na3 Nxf3+ 16. gxf3
FEN: r3kr2/ppp3pp/2np1n2/8/4q3/4Q3/PPP2PPP/RNB2RK1 w q - 0 12
Puzzle 11: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 69... Nb8+.
Puzzle rating 2148
Hint
Theme: quiet move, defensive move, advanced pawn
Show solution
70. Kb7 Nd7 71. a5 Ne5 72. a6 Kd6 73. a7
FEN: 1n6/8/2K1k3/2p5/P1P5/8/8/8 w - - 1 70
Puzzle 12: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 28... axb4.
Puzzle rating 2171
Hint
Show solution
29. Re3 Qf1+ 30. Kh4 Qc4+ 31. f4
FEN: 7k/2pR4/5p2/7p/1p6/3R2PK/5P1P/2q5 w - - 0 29
Puzzle 13: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 28. Kb3.
Puzzle rating 2228
Hint
Theme: pin, quiet move, middlegame tactic
Show solution
28... Nb6 29. Qh3+ Kg8
FEN: 5r1k/p2n2p1/4Q3/1q6/1B1P4/PKP5/5r1P/3R3R b - - 2 28
Puzzle 14: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 32... Ne6.
Puzzle rating 2337
Hint
Theme: discovered check, double check, quiet move
Show solution
33. Ne5+ Kf5 34. Nf7 Qc7 35. Nd6+ Qxd6 36. Qxd6
FEN: 8/1p4pp/p3npk1/1b1p4/6NP/2q2PQ1/6PK/8 w - - 1 33
Puzzle 15: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 21... Qxa3.
Puzzle rating 2374
Hint
Theme: quiet move, middlegame tactic
Show solution
22. Rcd1 Be6 23. Rxd8+ Rxd8 24. Rxd8+
FEN: r2r2k1/2pb1p1p/1p4p1/p7/P2R4/q3P3/2Q1BPPP/2R3K1 w - - 0 22
Puzzle 16: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 36... Ke6.
Puzzle rating 2394
Hint
Theme: quiet move, zugzwang, pawn endgame
Show solution
37. gxf5+ Kxf5 38. d5 h5 39. d6 Ke6 40. Kxe4 Kxd6 41. Kf5 h4 42. Kg4 Ke6 43. Kxh4
FEN: 8/7p/p3k3/Pp3p2/1P1PpPP1/4K3/8/8 w - - 1 37
Puzzle 17: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 35... Kf8.
Puzzle rating 2440
Hint
Theme: quiet move, endgame tactic
Show solution
36. Rb1 Rxa7 37. Rb8+ Ke7 38. Rb7+ Kd6 39. Rxa7
FEN: r4k2/P5pp/2P5/3P4/2n1p3/7P/6P1/R5K1 w - - 1 36
Puzzle 18: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 35. h5.
Puzzle rating 2510
Hint
Theme: quiet move, bishop endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
35... Kc3 36. h6 a4 37. Be4 Bg8 38. Bd5 Bh7
FEN: 8/7B/1p6/p6P/1k6/4K3/b1P5/8 b - - 0 35
Puzzle 19: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 47... Kd8.
Puzzle rating 2617
Hint
Theme: quiet move, advanced pawn, knight endgame
Show solution
48. h5 Nc7 49. a7
FEN: n2k4/6p1/P1K4p/8/7P/P3P3/8/8 w - - 9 48
Puzzle 20: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 48... h5.
Puzzle rating 2729
Hint
Theme: quiet move, pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
49. h3 g4 50. h4 g3 51. fxg3
FEN: 8/3k1p2/3P4/4K1pp/8/8/5P1P/8 w - - 0 49