10 trapped pieces rated between 1400 and 1599, averaging 1518. 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.
A trapped piece has no safe squares. It does not have to be attacked yet — the winning technique is to take away its escape squares first, then attack it with something it cannot trade with. Knights on the rim and queens that raided too early are the usual victims.
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.
Rh5 Qxh5 gxh5
Rh8 Qg7 Rdg8 Qxg8+ Rxg8
Qxf6+ Kxf6 Nd5+ Kg5 Nxc7 Nc6 Nxa8
Bd4 Qf5 Qxf5 gxf5 Bxh8
Bb5 bxa5 Bxa6
Rb4 Qb5 Rxb5
Rf6 Qc6 Rxc6
Kb3 Rxb2+ Kxb2
Rh5 Qxh5 Bxh5
Bf4 Qxf4+ Kxf4
Train trapped piece puzzles at your rating →
A trapped piece has no safe squares. It does not have to be attacked yet — the winning technique is to take away its escape squares first, then attack it with something it cannot trade with. Knights on the rim and queens that raided too early are the usual victims.
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 1518, so they suit 1400-rated players.
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.