10 underpromotions rated between 1200 and 1399, averaging 1329. 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 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.
g8=N+ Kf7 Nxf6 Kxf6 Kg8
f8=N+ Kg8 Nxg6
f2+ Kg2 fxe1=N+
d1=N+ Ke1 Rxe2+
h1=N#
e8=N+ Kxf8 Nxd6
d3 Qxd3 e2+ Kc2 e1=N+ Kc3 Nxd3
f1=N+ Kh3 Nf2#
f7 Rxe6 f8=N+ Kg8 Nxe6
e2+ Kg2 e1=N+ Kh3 Nxf3
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 1200 is one that players rated around 1200 solve roughly half the time. The puzzles on this page average 1329, so they suit 1200-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.