Daily puzzle

#7 · June 16, 2026
David Howell
David Howell

King and pawn endgames are notoriously tricky. The goal is to promote a pawn, but this can end up in a race where every move matters. Can you use your calculation skills to figure out how White can guarantee a new queen on the board?

Composed by Troitsky • Deutsche Schachzeitung • 1913
Solution

f6 gxf6 Kxg2 Kg4 a4 bxa3 bxa3 Kf5 a4 Ke5 d6 cxd6 c6 dxc6 a5

Good work! That was impressive. Through a series of clever pawn sacrifices you have blocked the black king's path to the a-file and your passed pawn has become unstoppable. With a new queen, the win will be simple.