Daily puzzle

#16 · June 25, 2026

David Howell

Can you do better than a GM? In this recent game, Black found himself two pawns down in a difficult queen ending. He went on to lose after 109 moves. In this position, however, he missed a stronger move that would have allowed him to save the game. What should Black have played?

Played 2026, in UzChess Cup • Niemann vs Vokhidov • Tashkent

Solution

Qf7+ Qxf7

Good work! Stalemate is often a important resource if you're on the defending side of a queen endgame. Feel free to play through the game below to see what actually happened.