Underpromotion chess puzzles
20 underpromotion puzzles from real games, ordered from easy to hard. Each has a hint and the full solution.
What is a underpromotion in chess?
Underpromotion means promoting a pawn to a knight, rook or bishop instead of a queen, either to give check with a knight or to avoid stalemate.
How to spot a underpromotion
Before promoting, check whether a queen would stalemate the opponent, or whether a knight promotion gives a winning check or fork.
Learn it first: Endgame studies for imagination · Under-promotion and stalemate tricks · Keeping calculation at peak level
Underpromotion chess puzzles
Puzzle 1: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 80. Ke2.
Puzzle rating 922
Hint
Theme: fork, promotion, underpromotion
Show solution
80... g1=N+ 81. Kf2 Nxf3 82. Kxf3 Kg1
FEN: 8/8/8/8/8/5Q1p/4K1pk/8 b - - 1 80
Puzzle 2: Black to move and mate in 3
Puzzle 3: Black to move and mate in 4
Black to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 33. Rd7.
Puzzle rating 1756
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, Opera mate, fork
Show solution
33... Qxh3+ 34. gxh3 g2+ 35. Kh2 gxf1=N+ 36. Kh1 Rg1#
FEN: 6k1/p2R4/4pr2/2P3r1/4Bp1q/1Q3PpP/P4bP1/5R1K b - - 2 33
Puzzle 4: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 48. Bxc6.
Puzzle rating 1919
Hint
Theme: fork, promotion, underpromotion
Show solution
48... c1=N+ 49. Kb2 Nxe2 50. Rf8+ Kc7
FEN: 3k4/5R2/2Bp2p1/5b2/1P3P2/7r/K1p1R3/8 b - - 0 48
Puzzle 5: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 45... f6.
Puzzle rating 1985
Hint
Theme: promotion, underpromotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
46. e6 Nb6 47. e7 Nc8 48. e8=N+
FEN: 8/3n2k1/5p1p/3BPPp1/4K3/7P/8/8 w - - 0 46
Puzzle 6: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 26... Qxe6.
Puzzle rating 2063
Hint
Theme: fork, attraction (decoy), promotion
Show solution
27. fxg7+ Kg8 28. Qxh7+ Kxh7 29. gxf8=N+ Kg8 30. Nxe6
FEN: 5r1k/pp2n1pp/2p1qP2/3p4/8/2BQ2P1/PP5P/7K w - - 0 27
Puzzle 7: Black to move and mate in 4
Puzzle 8: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 54... Bd5.
Puzzle rating 2134
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, promotion, underpromotion
Show solution
55. Rh7+ Kg6 56. f8=N#
FEN: 8/pp3PR1/2p5/3b2Pk/5K1P/1r6/8/8 w - - 1 55
Puzzle 9: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 34... Rb3.
Puzzle rating 2182
Hint
Theme: fork, double check, promotion
Show solution
35. c8=N+ Kd8 36. Qe7+ Kxc8 37. Qxe6+ Kd8 38. Qxb3 Ke7 39. Qxa2
FEN: 8/1QP1knpp/3pbp2/4p3/4P3/1r4P1/r4PKP/8 w - - 3 35
Puzzle 10: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 45. Kxg2.
Puzzle rating 2209
Hint
Theme: fork, discovered attack, discovered check
Show solution
45... fxe1=N+ 46. Kg1 Bxe5 47. Qxe5 Nf3+ 48. Kf2 Nxe5+
FEN: 8/5rbk/p2Q4/1p2N1pp/8/7P/PP3pK1/4R3 b - - 0 45
Puzzle 11: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 50... Qf6.
Puzzle rating 2259
Hint
Theme: fork, discovered check, double check
Show solution
51. Qd7 Bb5 52. e8=N+ Kf8 53. Nxf6 Bxd7 54. Nxd7+
FEN: 4Q3/4P1kp/5qp1/8/2bp4/7P/5PP1/6K1 w - - 1 51
Puzzle 12: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 39. Kf3.
Puzzle rating 2320
Hint
Theme: promotion, underpromotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
39... e2 40. d6 e1=N+ 41. Kg3 Qxd6
FEN: 6kr/4q2p/1p4pQ/p1pP4/P1P2RP1/1P2pK2/6P1/8 b - - 1 39
Puzzle 13: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 34... Bxc1.
Puzzle rating 2328
Hint
Theme: deflection, promotion, underpromotion
Show solution
35. Qe8+ Kh7 36. exf7 Rd8 37. f8=N+ Kg8 38. Qxd8
FEN: 6k1/q4pp1/2Q1P2p/5P2/1p1rP3/2p3BP/6PK/2b5 w - - 0 35
Puzzle 14: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 40... Ke6.
Puzzle rating 2397
Hint
Theme: promotion, underpromotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
41. Kc3 b2 42. d7 b1=Q 43. d8=N+ Kf6 44. Rxb1
FEN: 8/6p1/3Pk3/p3pp2/2P5/1p1K2P1/r6P/3R4 w - - 1 41
Puzzle 15: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 42. Rf4.
Puzzle rating 2421
Hint
Theme: promotion, underpromotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
42... f1=N+ 43. Bxf1 Qxc2+
FEN: 3Q4/kb6/p5q1/4r3/2B2R2/P5Pp/1PP2p1K/8 b - - 3 42
Puzzle 16: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 39... Qa4.
Puzzle rating 2444
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, attraction (decoy), sacrifice
Show solution
40. Qg6+ Kxg6 41. f8=N#
FEN: 8/5Ppk/3Q3p/4p1p1/qp4P1/3PP3/1Pr5/3K1R2 w - - 3 40
Puzzle 17: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 59... Qf2.
Puzzle rating 2454
Hint
Theme: defensive move, promotion, underpromotion
Show solution
60. f8=N+ Kg8 61. Ne6
FEN: 8/5P1k/p4R2/5PKP/8/8/5q2/8 w - - 5 60
Puzzle 18: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 45. a5.
Puzzle rating 2479
Hint
Theme: pin, promotion, underpromotion
Show solution
45... gxf3 46. Kg3 f2 47. Ra8 f1=N+
FEN: 8/8/R3p3/P4k1p/6pP/5P2/2r3PK/8 b - - 0 45
Puzzle 19: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 58. Ng4+.
Puzzle rating 2499
Hint
Theme: defensive move, promotion, underpromotion
Show solution
58... Kf3 59. Ne5+ Ke4 60. Nc4 b1=N+ 61. Kc2 Kd4
FEN: 8/8/p7/8/P4pN1/2K1k3/1p6/8 b - - 2 58
Puzzle 20: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 40. Kf3.
Puzzle rating 2651
Hint
Theme: promotion, underpromotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
40... hxg4+ 41. Ke2 g3 42. Qe3 g2 43. Qg5 Qf1+ 44. Kf3 g1=N+
FEN: 7k/2p3p1/1p1p4/1P1P3p/2PQP1PP/5K2/5P2/6q1 b - - 4 40