Exposed King Chess Puzzles — Rated 1800

10 exposed king positions rated between 1800 and 1999, averaging 1873. 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 1800-rated players. Puzzle ratings work like player ratings: a puzzle rated 1800 is one that players around 1800 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 1800

  1. Exposed King puzzle 1, rated 1848a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 1 · rated 1848 · White to play after Kd8
    Show solution

    Nf7+ Ke8 Nc7+ Ke7 Qxd6#

  2. Exposed King puzzle 2, rated 1947h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 2 · rated 1947 · Black to play after h4
    Show solution

    Qa1+ Kh2 Be5+ Qxe5+ Qxe5+

  3. Exposed King puzzle 3, rated 1841h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 3 · rated 1841 · Black to play after Nxe5
    Show solution

    fxe5+ Ke3 Rf3+ Kd2 Rxb3

  4. Exposed King puzzle 4, rated 1844a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 4 · rated 1844 · White to play after Qxa4
    Show solution

    Qe7+ Kc6 Qe8+ Kxd6 Qxa4

  5. Exposed King puzzle 5, rated 1822a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 5 · rated 1822 · White to play after Rxc3
    Show solution

    Rh7+ Kxh7 Qf7+ Kh8 Qxg8#

  6. Exposed King puzzle 6, rated 1997h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 6 · rated 1997 · Black to play after Qxc6
    Show solution

    Rf1+ Nxf1 Rxf1+ Ke2 Qg2+ Kd3 Rd1+ Bd2 Qxd2#

  7. Exposed King puzzle 7, rated 1888h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 7 · rated 1888 · Black to play after Bf3
    Show solution

    Qh4+ Ke2 Qf2+ Kd3 Qxf3

  8. Exposed King puzzle 8, rated 1838h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 8 · rated 1838 · Black to play after Nc4
    Show solution

    Bxe5 Nxe5 Nc3+ Kf3 Nxd5

  9. Exposed King puzzle 9, rated 1890h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 9 · rated 1890 · Black to play after Rc1
    Show solution

    Qa4+ Kd2 Rc2+ Rxc2 Qxd7+

  10. Exposed King puzzle 10, rated 1814h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 10 · rated 1814 · Black to play after Kf2
    Show solution

    Rxg1 Kxg1 Rh8 Nc3 Rh1+ Kf2 Rxa1

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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 1800 mean?

Puzzle ratings work like player ratings. A puzzle rated 1800 is one that players rated around 1800 solve roughly half the time. The puzzles on this page average 1873, so they suit 1800-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.