Queen sacrifice to promote the pawn

By · · 2 min read · Updated May 8, 2026

This is a Black-to-move Queen endings endgame study. With best play, the result is black wins; the solution runs 10 half-moves.

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Queen sacrifice to promote the pawn is a Queen endings endgame study from the Climbchess curated set of 80 positions. Black sacrifices the queen to push the passed pawn forward, forcing White's king into a losing position. The resulting pawn endgame is decisive for Black.

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Position: Black to move. Result with best play: black wins. Solution length: 10 half-moves.

FEN: 8/5p2/8/6k1/6Q1/1K6/8/8 b - - 0 1

Solving guide (move by move)

Show step-by-step solution

Try the position yourself first — endgame technique compounds when you struggle through the calculation before peeking.

  1. Black: g5g4
  2. White: b3c3
  3. Black: f7f5
  4. White: c3d4
  5. Black: f5f4
  6. White: d4e5
  7. Black: f4f3
  8. White: e5f6
  9. Black: g4g3
  10. White: f6f7

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About Queen endings

Q vs P, Q+P vs Q, perpetual check, centralisation.

Related endgames

Underlying chess concepts

Endgame technique reduces to a small number of recurring patterns: opposition, key squares, zugzwang, fortress, breakthrough. Climbchess catalogues 4,505 interpretable patterns extracted from Leela Chess Zero via sparse autoencoders. Browse the methodology or jump straight into the trainer to attempt this exact position interactively.

Frequently asked

Is this position a win, draw or loss?

With best play: black wins. Black moves first.

What is the key idea?

Black sacrifices the queen to push the passed pawn forward, forcing White's king into a losing position. The resulting pawn endgame is decisive for Black.

How long is the solution?

10 half-moves (5 full moves) of forced or near-forced play.

Where can I practise it?

Open the Climbchess trainer using the deep-link button — the position loads pre-set so you can play it out against the engine.