Advanced pawn puzzles
A pawn deep in the enemy position threatens to promote or supports a checkmate.
About advanced pawn puzzles
A pawn deep in the enemy position threatens to promote or supports a checkmate. Even one step from queening, it ties down the defender.
How to spot it
- Count the moves to promotion and what the opponent can do about it.
- Look for a check that also clears the pawn's path.
- A pawn on the seventh rank often forces the opponent to give up material.
A common mistake
Ignoring the enemy king, which is often the pawn's best blocker.
A worked example
K
R
K
R
NRBlack to move. White has just played Rc2. Find the best move.
Solution: 42... Rd2+ 43. Rxd2 exd2 44. Rxc7+ Ke8 45. Rc4 d1=Q
Rd2+ checks the king and also attacks the rook on c2, so your opponent has to answer the check. The idea: A pawn deep in the enemy position threatens to promote or supports a checkmate.
The highlighted squares show White's last move. This position is a different puzzle from the ones you start with above (1249 rating).
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Questions
Why are pawns on the seventh rank so strong?
They are one move from becoming a queen, so the opponent must stop them right away, which usually costs time or material.
Where do these puzzles come from?
They are real puzzles from the Lichess puzzle database, which is free to use under the CC0 license. Each one was built from a real game and tested by many players. We picked well-rated ones with good popularity scores.
Are the puzzles free?
Yes. There is no signup, no limit and no ads on the puzzles. Your progress on this page is not saved after you leave.
What do the difficulty levels mean?
Beginner puzzles are rated under 1250, intermediate 1250 to 1749 and advanced 1750 and up, using the rating Lichess players earned on each puzzle.