Trapped piece chess puzzles
20 trapped piece puzzles from real games, ordered from easy to hard. Each has a hint and the full solution.
What is a trapped piece in chess?
A trapped piece has no safe square to go to. Attack it and it is lost. Bishops on the rim, knights in the corner and queens grabbing pawns are common victims.
How to spot a trapped piece
Look at enemy pieces near the edge or deep in your camp and count their safe squares. If there are none or one, attack the piece or take away the last square.
Learn it first: What the pieces are worth · Hanging pieces: take them and don’t leave them · Trapping pieces
Trapped piece chess puzzles
Puzzle 1: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 9. Nd2.
Puzzle rating 996
Hint
Theme: trapped piece, opening tactic
Show solution
9... Ne3 10. Nf3 Nxd1
FEN: rnbqk2r/pp1pbppp/2p5/4P3/3PP1n1/2N3P1/PPPNB2P/R1BQK2R b KQkq - 2 9
Puzzle 2: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 9... hxg5.
Puzzle rating 1157
Hint
Theme: trapped piece, opening tactic
Show solution
10. Bxg5 Qxg5 11. Nxg5
FEN: r1b1k2r/ppp2pp1/2nbpq2/6p1/3P4/3B1N2/PPP2P1P/R1BQK2R w KQkq - 0 10
Puzzle 3: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 26. f3.
Puzzle rating 1183
Hint
Theme: trapped piece, middlegame tactic
Show solution
26... Ra8 27. Qxa8 Rxa8 28. Rxa8 Qxb6
FEN: 1r5r/Qn1kb1p1/RBqpp2p/4p3/2P5/3P1PPB/1P2P2P/4K2R b K - 0 26
Puzzle 4: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 25... Be6.
Puzzle rating 1290
Hint
Theme: discovered attack, trapped piece, quiet move
Show solution
26. f4 Bxc5 27. Bxd5 Ra1+ 28. Kg2
FEN: r5k1/1p3ppp/2pNbp2/2Pq4/2RP4/bP3PP1/4Q1BP/7K w - - 1 26
Puzzle 5: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 18... Rfe8.
Puzzle rating 1384
Hint
Theme: trapped piece, endgame tactic
Show solution
19. g3 Qxg3+ 20. Kxg3
FEN: r3r1k1/ppp3p1/3p1p1p/3P4/1PPp1P1q/P2P3P/6PK/R2Q1R2 w - - 2 19
Puzzle 6: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 16... Nd7.
Puzzle rating 1464
Hint
Theme: trapped piece, middlegame tactic
Show solution
17. Bg5 Qxg5 18. Qxg5
FEN: r4rk1/pppn2pp/8/3P1p2/2PP3q/2K2B2/PP4QP/R1B5 w - - 2 17
Puzzle 7: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 21... Qxf4.
Puzzle rating 1553
Hint
Theme: clearance, trapped piece, middlegame tactic
Show solution
22. Rd4 Qe3 23. Re1 Qxe1+ 24. Nxe1
FEN: r4rk1/p1pn2p1/1p1p3p/3P1p2/2P2q2/P1P2N2/2Q3PP/R2R3K w - - 0 22
Puzzle 8: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 19. e4.
Puzzle rating 1633
Hint
Theme: trapped piece, middlegame tactic
Show solution
19... Ra8 20. Qxa8 Rxa8
FEN: 1r2r1k1/1p1q1pbp/2pp2p1/Q2n4/3PP3/7P/PP1N1PPB/2R1R1K1 b - - 0 19
Puzzle 9: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 16. axb5.
Puzzle rating 1681
Hint
Theme: hanging piece, trapped piece, advanced pawn
Show solution
16... Qxa1+ 17. Bd1 c3 18. O-O cxd2
FEN: 2b2rk1/p4ppp/4p3/1Pb1q3/2p5/1P2PQ2/2PBBPPP/R3K2R b KQ - 0 16
Puzzle 10: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 13. f3.
Puzzle rating 1707
Hint
Theme: trapped piece, opening tactic
Show solution
13... c5 14. fxg4 cxd4
FEN: r2qr1k1/pb1pbppp/2p5/1p6/3QP1n1/1BPP1P2/PP4PP/RNB2RK1 b - - 0 13
Puzzle 11: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 24. Rb8.
Puzzle rating 1793
Hint
Theme: trapped piece, endgame tactic
Show solution
24... Rxb8 25. Nxb8 Qb7 26. Nxc6 Qxc6
FEN: 1R1r2k1/p2N1ppp/q1p1p3/2Pp4/3Pn3/P3P1PP/2Q2PK1/8 b - - 2 24
Puzzle 12: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 25... Bc2.
Puzzle rating 1924
Hint
Theme: capturing the defender, trapped piece, endgame tactic
Show solution
26. Nxc5 Bxd1 27. Nxb7 Rd7 28. Bxc6 Rxb7 29. Bxb7
FEN: 3r4/pp3pkp/2pP2p1/2n5/N4P2/6PP/P1b3B1/3R2K1 w - - 5 26
Puzzle 13: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 39... Kf7.
Puzzle rating 1966
Hint
Theme: trapped piece, rook endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
40. Kf2 Rh3 41. Kg2 Rxh4 42. Rxh4
FEN: 8/5k2/6p1/5p1p/1R5P/1P2KPr1/8/8 w - - 2 40
Puzzle 14: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 25. Rad1.
Puzzle rating 2043
Hint
Theme: trapped piece, middlegame tactic
Show solution
25... Rxd1 26. Rxd1 f4 27. Bxf4 Rxf4
FEN: 4qr1k/p2rb1pp/1p2Q3/1Pp2p2/2P5/P5B1/5PPP/3RR1K1 b - - 1 25
Puzzle 15: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 29... Qa3.
Puzzle rating 2165
Hint
Theme: clearance, trapped piece, middlegame tactic
Show solution
30. Ra1 Qb3 31. Rfb1 Qxb1+ 32. Rxb1
FEN: 3r1rk1/p5bp/5n2/3Np3/1P2Pp2/q7/4QNPP/2R2R1K w - - 1 30
Puzzle 16: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 15. Re1.
Puzzle rating 2232
Hint
Theme: trapped piece, middlegame tactic
Show solution
15... Nh5 16. Qg3 Nxg3
FEN: r3k2r/1p2bppp/p1p2nq1/8/3pPB1Q/1B1P3P/PPP1bPP1/RN2R1K1 b kq - 2 15
Puzzle 17: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 17. Rfd1.
Puzzle rating 2295
Hint
Theme: trapped piece, middlegame tactic
Show solution
17... Rxd1+ 18. Rxd1 Ba6 19. Qxa6 Rxa6
FEN: r1brq1k1/2p2pbp/5np1/p1B1p3/2Q1P3/1NP2N1P/PP3PP1/R2R2K1 b - - 3 17
Puzzle 18: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 17... Bd8.
Puzzle rating 2369
Hint
Theme: trapped piece, sacrifice, middlegame tactic
Show solution
18. Nc8 Qa8 19. Rxc6 bxc6 20. Rb8 Qxb8 21. Bxb8 Bc7 22. Bxc7
FEN: 3brrk1/qp3ppp/pNn1pn2/3p4/P2P1B2/3QPN2/5PPP/1RR3K1 w - - 1 18
Puzzle 19: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 28. c6.
Puzzle rating 2465
Hint
Theme: trapped piece, endgame tactic
Show solution
28... Qa7+ 29. Rf2 Rd4 30. Qxd4+ Qxd4
FEN: 4r3/5qkp/p1PQ2p1/5p2/1p2r3/5RPP/PPP5/R5K1 b - - 0 28
Puzzle 20: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 21... Nh6.
Puzzle rating 2554
Hint
Theme: trapped piece, middlegame tactic
Show solution
22. Rb3 Qxb3 23. Qxb3
FEN: r6r/6kp/bBp2ppn/4p3/4P3/2q1NK2/5PPP/1R1Q3R w - - 4 22