10 underpromotions rated between 1400 and 1599, averaging 1526. 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 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.
f1=N+ Kg1 Nxg3
Kd1 Rxg5 e2 Rg1+ e1=R
e8=N+ Kf8 Nxd6
a8=N+ Kb7 Nxb6
e7+ Kg7 e8=N+ Kf8 Nxf6
g1=N+ Kh4 Rh2#
d8=N+ Kf6 Rf7#
g8=N+ Kg5 Qf6+ Kh5 Qh6#
f7+ Kh7 f8=N+ Kg8 Nxd7
e2+ Kg2 e1=N+ Kf1 Nxc2
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 1400 is one that players rated around 1400 solve roughly half the time. The puzzles on this page average 1526, 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.