10 underpromotions rated between 400 and 799, averaging 743. 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 600-rated players. Puzzle ratings work like player ratings: a puzzle rated 600 is one that players around 600 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.
c1=N+ Kc4 Nxe2
f8=N#
c1=N+ Kc3 Nxa2+
f8=N#
f8=N#
e8=N+ Kf7 Nxf6
c1=N+ Kxd1 Nxb3
f8=N+ Kg7 Nxd7
b8=N+ Kb7 Nxd7
e1=N+ Ke4 Nxg2
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 600 is one that players rated around 600 solve roughly half the time. The puzzles on this page average 743, so they suit 600-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.