Chess960 puzzles: Promotion race
Both sides push passers — win the race by a tempo.
A promotion race is a sprint between two passed pawns: both sides push toward the last rank, and victory goes to whoever queens first or queens with check. You will recognize it when both players have far-advanced passers that neither king can catch. Count the tempi literally, move by move, all the way to promotion. The classic mistake is spending a tempo on a "useful" move — in a race, almost any non-pawn move loses.
116 puzzles
Win the hanging king on c6
Winning blow: pawn to d8
Win the hanging king on f5
Winning blow: pawn to d8 (d7·2)
Winning blow: pawn to d8 (d7·3)
Winning blow: pawn to a8
Winning blow: queen to d7 (d3·2)
Attack on the uncastled king: rook to h8 (h1·6)
Deflection: pawn to f2
Mate in 2: bishop to h2 (g1)
Pin: rook to a5
Winning blow: king to d1 (c1·13)
Deflection: rook to c5
Deflection: pawn to c2
Winning blow: rook to h8 (h1·6)
Winning blow: bishop to c8 (b7)
Winning blow: rook to d8 (d1·15)
Winning blow: rook to g6 (g5·2)
Winning blow: rook to f8 (c8·3)
Winning blow: pawn to b5 (c4·5)
Winning blow: pawn to e5 (d4·25)
Winning blow: rook to b8 (a8)
Winning blow: rook to d1 (f1·3)
Winning blow: knight to e6 (g5·12)