10 underpromotions rated between 1000 and 1199, averaging 1093. 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.
Underpromotion — taking a knight or rook instead of a queen — is right when the queen would be stalemate, or when only a knight delivers the fork or check that wins. Rare, and unforgettable when it appears.
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.
g8=N#
exf1=N+ Kg2 Nxe3+
dxe1=N+ Kh1 Rf1#
g8=N+ Kf7 Nxf6 Kxf6 Kg8
b8=N+ Kd6 Nxc6 Kxc6 Kb8
h8=N+ Kh5 Rh7#
g1=N+ Kf2 Nxf3 Kxf3 Kg1
e7+ Kg7 e8=N+ Kf8 Nxd6
f1=N#
exf1=N+ Kh3 Nxd2
Train underpromotion puzzles at your rating →
Underpromotion — taking a knight or rook instead of a queen — is right when the queen would be stalemate, or when only a knight delivers the fork or check that wins. Rare, and unforgettable when it appears.
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 1093, so they suit 1000-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.