Exposed King Chess Puzzles — Rated 1000

10 exposed king positions rated between 1000 and 1199, averaging 1180. 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.

An exposed king with no pawn cover is a target for every piece on the board. These puzzles are about finding the forcing sequence rather than accumulating advantage.

These are pitched at 1000-rated players. Puzzle ratings work like player ratings: a puzzle rated 1000 is one that players around 1000 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.

Exposed King puzzles rated 1000

  1. Exposed King puzzle 1, rated 1193a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 1 · rated 1193 · White to play after Kh7
    Show solution

    Rh3+ Kg8 Ne7+ Kf8 Rh8#

  2. Exposed King puzzle 2, rated 1167a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 2 · rated 1167 · White to play after Kg8
    Show solution

    Rxf8+ Kxf8 Qh8+ Kf7 Ne5+ Qxe5 Qxe5

  3. Exposed King puzzle 3, rated 1197h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 3 · rated 1197 · Black to play after Rg7
    Show solution

    e3 Rxg4 e2+ Kf2 e1=Q+

  4. Exposed King puzzle 4, rated 1176a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 4 · rated 1176 · White to play after Qg6
    Show solution

    Rxc7+ Re7 Rxe7+ Kxe7 Qxg6

  5. Exposed King puzzle 5, rated 1193a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 5 · rated 1193 · White to play after Rc8
    Show solution

    Rf8+ Kd7 R1f7+ Kd6 Rxc8

  6. Exposed King puzzle 6, rated 1177a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 6 · rated 1177 · White to play after Kf6
    Show solution

    Rf2+ Ke6 Re5+ Qxe5 dxe5

  7. Exposed King puzzle 7, rated 1179a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 7 · rated 1179 · White to play after Kf7
    Show solution

    Qf5+ Qf6 Rf8+ Kxf8 Qxf6+

  8. Exposed King puzzle 8, rated 1184h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 8 · rated 1184 · Black to play after Rxf5
    Show solution

    Rxf5 d7 Rd5+ Kc3 Rxd7

  9. Exposed King puzzle 9, rated 1167a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 9 · rated 1167 · White to play after gxh6
    Show solution

    Qxh6+ Kg8 Qh7+ Kf8 Qf7#

  10. Exposed King puzzle 10, rated 1162a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 10 · rated 1162 · White to play after Qb2
    Show solution

    Rxc6+ Kb7 Qc7+ Ka8 Qxd8+

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Frequently asked questions

What is a exposed king in chess?

An exposed king with no pawn cover is a target for every piece on the board. These puzzles are about finding the forcing sequence rather than accumulating advantage.

What does a puzzle rating of 1000 mean?

Puzzle ratings work like player ratings. A puzzle rated 1000 is one that players rated around 1000 solve roughly half the time. The puzzles on this page average 1180, so they suit 1000-rated players.

Are these exposed king 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.