Exposed King Chess Puzzles — Rated 1200

10 exposed king positions rated between 1200 and 1399, averaging 1318. 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 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.

Exposed King puzzles rated 1200

  1. Exposed King puzzle 1, rated 1397a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 1 · rated 1397 · White to play after Rd8
    Show solution

    Rc1+ Rc6 Rxc6+ Kxc6 Rxd8

  2. Exposed King puzzle 2, rated 1356a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 2 · rated 1356 · White to play after c1=Q
    Show solution

    Qe5+ Nf6 Qxf6+ Rg7 Qxg7#

  3. Exposed King puzzle 3, rated 1269a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 3 · rated 1269 · White to play after Rxa7
    Show solution

    Rxa7+ Kxa7 Nc6+ Kb6 Nxe7

  4. Exposed King puzzle 4, rated 1320h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 4 · rated 1320 · Black to play after c8=Q
    Show solution

    Bg7+ Bc3 Bxc3+ Qxc3 Rxc3

  5. Exposed King puzzle 5, rated 1397a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 5 · rated 1397 · White to play after Rg2+
    Show solution

    Kf1 Qc7 f7+ Qxf7+ Bxf7+

  6. Exposed King puzzle 6, rated 1338a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 6 · rated 1338 · White to play after Qc7
    Show solution

    Re8+ Kg7 Qg8+ Kh6 Qg6#

  7. Exposed King puzzle 7, rated 1258a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 7 · rated 1258 · White to play after Nxe5
    Show solution

    Qa5+ b6 Qxb6+ Kd7 Qc7#

  8. Exposed King puzzle 8, rated 1273h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 8 · rated 1273 · Black to play after Rfc1
    Show solution

    Qxc1+ Rxc1 Rxc1+ Kg2 d2

  9. Exposed King puzzle 9, rated 1259a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 9 · rated 1259 · White to play after Ne4
    Show solution

    Qc7+ Qd7 Rf7+ Kxf7 Qxd7+

  10. Exposed King puzzle 10, rated 1316h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 10 · rated 1316 · Black to play after Re8
    Show solution

    f2+ Ke2 Bc4+ Kxe3 f1=Q

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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 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 1318, so they suit 1200-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.