Chess Puzzles

Interesting chess puzzles and game positions in FEN format.

If you have the full version of SparkChess, you can copy each string, paste it in the Board Editor, then click Apply to play from that position. If you just have the online version, click the "Play now" link after each puzzle.

Tip: Click on a FEN string to select it automatically.

diagram of John Emms vs. Albert Blees chess puzzle

John Emms vs. Albert Blees

Medium difficulty puzzle – mate in 3, White to move.
diagram of Wuisard vs. Durufle chess puzzle

Wuisard vs. Durufle

Medium difficulty puzzle – mate in 5, white to move.
diagram of Laszlo Vadaz vs. Carsten Lingnau chess puzzle

Laszlo Vadaz vs. Carsten Lingnau

Medium difficulty puzzle – mate in 2, white to move.
diagram of Pilotelle vs. Vernay chess puzzle

Pilotelle vs. Vernay

Medium difficulty puzzle. White to move and mate in 3
diagram of En-Passant: How it Works chess puzzle

En-Passant: How it Works

En-Passant is intended to prevent pawns from avoiding being captured when they move two squares. So, if you move the white pawn to d4, it will be captured by en-passant. If you move it to d3, it’s a normal capture.
diagram of For Beginners: Mate in Three chess puzzle

For Beginners: Mate in Three

Here’s a pretty simple chess puzzle to get you warmed up. White to play and mate in three
diagram of Think This Is Too easy? chess puzzle

Think This Is Too easy?

This situation seems ridiculously easy. The black king is in such a dire situation that deafeat is inevitable – but – can White mate in just three moves?
diagram of Promote to Knight chess puzzle

Promote to Knight

There are cases where an underpromotion would be useful. World Champion Emanuel Lasker presented a position in which White is in serious trouble, that not even a promotion to Queen would solve.