Exposed King Chess Puzzles — Rated 1400

10 exposed king positions rated between 1400 and 1599, averaging 1474. 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 1400-rated players. Puzzle ratings work like player ratings: a puzzle rated 1400 is one that players around 1400 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 1400

  1. Exposed King puzzle 1, rated 1405h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 1 · rated 1405 · Black to play after b3
    Show solution

    e2+ Kb1 Na3+ Kb2 Nxc2

  2. Exposed King puzzle 2, rated 1513a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 2 · rated 1513 · White to play after Ng5
    Show solution

    e5+ dxe5+ dxe5+ Kf7 Kxg5

  3. Exposed King puzzle 3, rated 1403a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 3 · rated 1403 · White to play after h4
    Show solution

    Nf6+ Kf8 Nh7+ Ke8 Nxg5

  4. Exposed King puzzle 4, rated 1450h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 4 · rated 1450 · Black to play after Kxf2
    Show solution

    Rc2+ Ke1 Re2+ Kf1 Rd1#

  5. Exposed King puzzle 5, rated 1529h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 5 · rated 1529 · Black to play after Ra8
    Show solution

    Rxa8 Bxa8 Qa6+ Kf2 Qxa8

  6. Exposed King puzzle 6, rated 1421a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 6 · rated 1421 · White to play after Qh8
    Show solution

    Rxg5+ Rxg5 Qxg5+ Kf7 Rxh8

  7. Exposed King puzzle 7, rated 1450h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 7 · rated 1450 · Black to play after Bf4
    Show solution

    Bxf4 Rxf4 Qg3+ Qg2 Qxf4

  8. Exposed King puzzle 8, rated 1592a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 8 · rated 1592 · White to play after Nb4
    Show solution

    Kg6 Re1 Ra8+ Re8 Rxe8#

  9. Exposed King puzzle 9, rated 1508a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 9 · rated 1508 · White to play after Kc7
    Show solution

    Rb7+ Kc6 d5+ Kd6 Rxb6+

  10. Exposed King puzzle 10, rated 1466a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 10 · rated 1466 · White to play after Kh7
    Show solution

    Rd7+ Kg8 Rg7+ Kh8 Rf8#

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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 1400 mean?

Puzzle ratings work like player ratings. A puzzle rated 1400 is one that players rated around 1400 solve roughly half the time. The puzzles on this page average 1474, so they suit 1400-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.