Zugzwang chess puzzles
20 zugzwang puzzles from real games, ordered from easy to hard. Each has a hint and the full solution.
What is a zugzwang in chess?
Zugzwang is a position where any move the opponent makes worsens their position. They would like to pass, but in chess you must move.
How to spot a zugzwang
It appears mostly in endgames. Ask what the opponent would do if it were their move, and try to reach that same position with them to move, often by losing a tempo.
Learn it first: Zugzwang · Endgame studies for imagination · Keeping calculation at peak level
Zugzwang chess puzzles
Puzzle 1: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 52... Kg6.
Puzzle rating 643
Hint
Theme: zugzwang, pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
53. Ke7 Kf5 54. Kxf7
FEN: 8/5p2/3K1Pk1/8/8/8/8/8 w - - 2 53
Puzzle 2: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 61. Kh6.
Puzzle rating 931
Hint
Theme: zugzwang, rook endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
61... Rxg5 62. hxg5+ Kf5 63. Kh7 Kxg5
FEN: 8/8/5kpK/6R1/7P/8/8/6r1 b - - 1 61
Puzzle 3: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 44... h4.
Puzzle rating 1179
Hint
Theme: zugzwang, pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
45. gxh4 gxh4 46. Kf4 Kg6 47. Kg4
FEN: 8/2p5/1p1p1k2/1P1P2p1/4K2p/6PP/8/8 w - - 0 45
Puzzle 4: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 39... h5.
Puzzle rating 1262
Hint
Theme: pin, zugzwang, rook endgame
Show solution
40. f4+ Kd5 41. Rd3 Rxd3+ 42. Kxd3
FEN: 8/8/6p1/1p2kp1p/1P1r4/1R2K1PP/5P2/8 w - - 0 40
Puzzle 5: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 33... c4.
Puzzle rating 1321
Hint
Theme: defensive move, zugzwang, pawn endgame
Show solution
34. e5+ Kg7 35. Kg5 a4 36. f4
FEN: 8/8/4pkp1/p2p4/2p1PK2/P1P2P2/2P5/8 w - - 0 34
Puzzle 6: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 48... h4.
Puzzle rating 1457
Hint
Theme: zugzwang, pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
49. Kc3 Ke5 50. Kxc4
FEN: 8/8/p7/3k1p2/1Pp4p/4PP1P/3K4/8 w - - 0 49
Puzzle 7: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 60... Ke6.
Puzzle rating 1550
Hint
Theme: defensive move, zugzwang, pawn endgame
Show solution
61. Ke4 f5+ 62. gxf5+ Kf6 63. f3
FEN: 8/8/4kp1p/6pP/3K2P1/8/5P2/8 w - - 1 61
Puzzle 8: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 56... f6.
Puzzle rating 1617
Hint
Theme: quiet move, zugzwang, promotion
Show solution
57. Kh6 Kg4 58. Kxg6 Kxg3 59. Kxh5 Kxf4 60. Kg6 f5 61. h5 Ke4 62. h6 f4 63. h7 f3 64. h8=Q
FEN: 8/6K1/5pp1/5k1p/5P1P/6P1/8/8 w - - 0 57
Puzzle 9: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 41... Ke6.
Puzzle rating 1659
Hint
Theme: quiet move, zugzwang, pawn endgame
Show solution
42. Kc5 Kd7 43. a5 Ke8 44. Kxc6
FEN: 8/2p5/p1p1k2p/6p1/PP1K2P1/7P/8/8 w - - 3 42
Puzzle 10: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 42... Rxe5.
Puzzle rating 1776
Hint
Theme: quiet move, zugzwang, endgame tactic
Show solution
43. Kxe5 Ke7 44. b4 Kd7 45. Kf6
FEN: 8/5k2/p1p3p1/1p1pr1P1/3P1K2/8/PP6/8 w - - 0 43
Puzzle 11: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 44. Re3.
Puzzle rating 1896
Hint
Theme: quiet move, zugzwang, rook endgame
Show solution
44... Rxe3+ 45. Kxe3 Kf5 46. Kf3 f6 47. Ke3 Kg4 48. Kf2 Kh3
FEN: 8/5p2/4pkp1/7p/3PKP1P/4R1P1/8/4r3 b - - 10 44
Puzzle 12: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 45... Ke7.
Puzzle rating 1976
Hint
Theme: quiet move, defensive move, zugzwang
Show solution
46. f4 h5 47. gxh5 gxh5 48. Kf5 h4 49. Kg4 Ke6 50. Kxh4 Kf5 51. Kg3
FEN: 8/4k3/2p3pp/2P1K3/6P1/5P2/8/8 w - - 3 46
Puzzle 13: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 65... Rxc4.
Puzzle rating 2000
Hint
Theme: defensive move, zugzwang, endgame tactic
Show solution
66. Kxc4 Kb8 67. Kd5 Kc7 68. Kc5
FEN: k7/8/p7/P2K4/1Pr5/8/8/8 w - - 0 66
Puzzle 14: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 46... f4.
Puzzle rating 2090
Hint
Theme: quiet move, zugzwang, pawn endgame
Show solution
47. g4 Kd5 48. g5 Ke5 49. Kc4
FEN: 8/8/6p1/p1p1k2p/P4p1P/1P1K1PP1/8/8 w - - 0 47
Puzzle 15: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 53. Ke4.
Puzzle rating 2184
Hint
Theme: defensive move, zugzwang, pawn endgame
Show solution
53... Kc4 54. Ke3 Kc3 55. Ke2 Kc2
FEN: 8/5p2/4p1p1/2k1P2p/4KP1P/6P1/8/8 b - - 3 53
Puzzle 16: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 57. Re3.
Puzzle rating 2284
Hint
Theme: quiet move, zugzwang, rook endgame
Show solution
57... Rxe3+ 58. Kxe3 Kg4 59. Kf2 Kh3 60. Kf3 h5 61. Kf2 Kh2
FEN: 8/8/7p/5p1k/5P2/1r2RKP1/8/8 b - - 5 57
Puzzle 17: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 44. Kf6.
Puzzle rating 2326
Hint
Theme: zugzwang, pawn endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
44... Kxf3 45. Kf5 Kg3 46. c3 Kf3 47. Ke6 Kxg4
FEN: 8/2p5/2p2K1p/3p4/pP1P1kP1/P4P2/2P5/8 b - - 2 44
Puzzle 18: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 50... Kg3.
Puzzle rating 2455
Hint
Theme: fork, defensive move, zugzwang
Show solution
51. Nf5+ Kg2 52. Nxg7 h4 53. Nf5 h3 54. Ne3+ Kf3 55. Nf1
FEN: 8/6b1/8/1p1p3p/p1pP3N/P1P3k1/1P6/4K3 w - - 2 51
Puzzle 19: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 45. g4.
Puzzle rating 2517
Hint
Theme: quiet move, zugzwang, pawn endgame
Show solution
45... f4 46. Ke2 Ke4 47. Kd2 Kf3
FEN: 8/8/7p/3k1pp1/6P1/2P2K1P/8/8 b - - 0 45
Puzzle 20: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 40... h5.
Puzzle rating 2611
Hint
Theme: quiet move, defensive move, zugzwang
Show solution
41. g4+ hxg4+ 42. hxg4+ Kg6 43. Ke4 Kf7 44. f5 g5 45. fxg6+ Kxg6 46. Kf4
FEN: 8/6p1/2p2p2/p1p2k1p/2P2P2/1P3K1P/P5P1/8 w - - 0 41