Endgame Chess Puzzles — Rated 1200

10 endgame puzzles rated between 1200 and 1399, averaging 1287. Each position below is from a real game, with the solution given underneath — so you can check yourself immediately rather than guessing whether you were right.

Endgame puzzles reward technique over calculation: king activity, passed pawns, and knowing which positions are theoretically won. This is the phase where study translates most directly into rating points.

These are pitched at 1200-rated players. Puzzle ratings work like player ratings: a puzzle rated 1200 is one that players around 1200 solve about half the time, so if you are getting most of these you should move up a band.

Solving from a page is good for pattern recognition but not for tracking progress. The rated puzzle trainer serves puzzles matched to your own rating and adjusts as you solve, and the Mistake Trainer builds puzzles from positions you actually got wrong in your own games.

Endgame puzzles rated 1200

  1. Endgame puzzle 1, rated 1224h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 1 · rated 1224 · Black to play after Be3
    Show solution

    Ne2+ Kf1 Qh1#

  2. Endgame puzzle 2, rated 1284a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 2 · rated 1284 · White to play after Rxb8
    Show solution

    Qh6+ Kg8 Rxb8#

  3. Endgame puzzle 3, rated 1384h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 3 · rated 1384 · Black to play after Qxh3
    Show solution

    Qc1+ Ka4 Qxd1+

  4. Endgame puzzle 4, rated 1332h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 4 · rated 1332 · Black to play after Rf1
    Show solution

    Qa5+ Kb1 Qa1#

  5. Endgame puzzle 5, rated 1368h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 5 · rated 1368 · Black to play after Kb2
    Show solution

    Nd3+ Ka3 Nxf4

  6. Endgame puzzle 6, rated 1261a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 6 · rated 1261 · White to play after a6
    Show solution

    bxa6 Rxc6 a7

  7. Endgame puzzle 7, rated 1204a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 7 · rated 1204 · White to play after Qc7
    Show solution

    Ne6+ Kh8 Nxc7

  8. Endgame puzzle 8, rated 1206a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 8 · rated 1206 · White to play after Bf7
    Show solution

    b6 Bxc4 b7

  9. Endgame puzzle 9, rated 1344a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 9 · rated 1344 · White to play after Kg6
    Show solution

    Nf8+ Kf7 Qxd4

  10. Endgame puzzle 10, rated 1265h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 10 · rated 1265 · Black to play after Qxf6
    Show solution

    Qe2+ Kg1 Qg2#

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Frequently asked questions

What is a endgame in chess?

Endgame puzzles reward technique over calculation: king activity, passed pawns, and knowing which positions are theoretically won. This is the phase where study translates most directly into rating points.

What does a puzzle rating of 1200 mean?

Puzzle ratings work like player ratings. A puzzle rated 1200 is one that players rated around 1200 solve roughly half the time. The puzzles on this page average 1287, so they suit 1200-rated players.

Are these endgame puzzles free?

Yes. Every puzzle on this page, including its solution, is free to view with no account. The rated trainer that tracks your progress and serves puzzles matched to your rating is part of Chess Ramp Premium.