This is How a Pawn Promotion Could Look In Game<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nPromotion to a Queen<\/h1>\n We already know that the queen is without a doubt the strongest piece in chess. So it makes sense for players to promote their pawn to a queen when it reaches the other side of the board. Promoting your pawn into a queen is often just called “queening”.<\/p>\n
In 99% of instances you want to promote your pawn into a queen, to have the maximum fire power on the board. However, the remaining 1% is where you need to be careful (you might throw away a certain win!). So, why would you choose not to promote to a queen if given the choice?<\/p>\n
Underpromotion \u2013 When and Why<\/h1>\n In some instances it is beneficial (or required for a win!) to “underpromote” a pawn. Meaning, you do not promote the pawn to the strongest possible piece (i. e. the queen), but rather a lesser piece, often a knight. Why on earth would you do that \ud83e\udd14? Well, there are a few scenarios where the underpromotion comes in handy:<\/p>\n
Avoiding a Stalemate<\/h2>\n In most cases underpromoting a pawn is done to avoid a stalemate. A stalemate is a position in which a king does not have any legal moves, but is not in check. The game will result in a draw.<\/p>\n
This is especially infuriating, as it often happens in a clearly winning position. So before blindly promoting to a queen, be sure to check that your opponent still has legal moves to make.<\/p>\n
Check out this example of a stalemate resulting from a pawn promotion to a queen:<\/p>\nIn This Case Underpromoting to a Rook is the Only Way To Win the Game<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWould White promote his pawn into a queen, the game would end in a draw, because Black has no more legal moves, but is not in check. Instead, White needs to underpromote to a rook. That way he is still able to deliver checkmate (can you spot the checkmate?).<\/p>\n
Winning a Piece<\/h2>\n Another reason a player might choose to underpromote a pawn is to simplify the position in the endgame:<\/p>\nUnderpromoting to a Knight Instantly Wins Black’s Queen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIn this position it would make total sense for White to underpromote his pawn into a knight, as it would result in a fork that would win the enemy’s queen. While the position would still be better for White after queening, underpromoting to a knight does simplify the process of checkmating and lessens the likelihood of mistakes for White.<\/p>\n
Checkmating Through Promotion<\/span><\/h1>\nIt is even possible to directly checkmate through a pawn promotion:<\/p>\nWhite Delivers Checkmate by Promoting to a Queen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nBy queening on c8 White delivers a check to the Black king, which has no squares left to move to \u2013 that’s checkmate!<\/p>\n
Pawn Promotion Strategy<\/h1>\n Although a pawn promotion usually happens in the end game, it should still be a consideration in the opening and middle game. A far-advanced pawn can be a very valuable asset by threatening a promotion, thus requiring the attention of the opponent \u2694\ufe0f.<\/p>\n
Generally, a pawn is becoming increasingly more valuable as it moves towards the other side of the board. Even when not controlling important squares, a pawn deep in enemy territory can be very useful to draw attention and weaken other parts of your opponents position.<\/p>\n
A pawn that has no enemy pawns stopping it from reaching the back rank is considered a “passed pawn”. Those are especially important in endgames, because the opponent now has to use his pieces to stop the promotion, thus allowing for new attacking opportunities.<\/p>\n
Pawn Promotion \u2013 Frequently Asked Questions<\/h1>\n