Pawn strikes
The humblest piece settles the game. A breakthrough, a promotion, one quiet push — the twenty best pawn blows in the collection.
- 01White to move Solve →
- 02White to move Solve →
- 03Black to move Solve →
- 04White to move Solve →
- 05White to move Solve →
- 06Black to move Solve →
- 07White to move Solve →
- 08White to move Solve →
- 09Black to move Solve →
- 10White to move Solve →
- 11Black to move Solve →
- 12White to move Solve →
- 13White to move Solve →
- 14White to move Solve →
- 15White to move Solve →
- 16Black to move Solve →
- 17White to move Solve →
- 18White to move Solve →
- 19Black to move Solve →
- 20Black to move Solve →
Pawn strikes in Chess960
The pawn is the humblest unit on the board, and now and then it settles the whole game. A breakthrough that opens a file, a quiet push that traps a piece, a promotion that turns a foot soldier into a queen — the smallest move can carry the heaviest consequence.
Pawns are the one constant of Chess960: they begin on the same rank as always, no matter how the pieces behind them are arranged. But what those pawns defend and attack is shuffled, so a familiar pawn break can have an entirely unfamiliar point.
These are the collection’s best pawn blows — breakthroughs, promotions and quiet pushes alike — gathered with the most decisive at the top.