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This is called underpromotion or minor promotion. ‘Minor’ is Latin and means ‘less’. Your pawn turns into a piece that is worth less than a queen.
When is underpromoting a smart choice? When it results in a checkmate, for instance. Or when it gains you material.
The best minor promotion is usually promoting to a knight. For the knight moves in a way that the queen cannot: it jumps in a L-shaped manner. (Whereas rooks and bishops move in ways that the queen, too, may do.)
In example 1 White promotes to a knight, checkmating the king! Queening wouldn’t be smart, since Black wants to checkmate. By promoting with check, White stops this plan.
In example 2 White promotes to a knight because it wins him material. Thanks to a double attack on queen and king, White gains a lot of points.
What do you have to do?
Find the best way to promote your pawn.
Brainy pawns (2)
A pawn at the other side is usually promoted to a queen, because a queen is by far the strongest piece. Sometimes, however, it is better to choose a piece other than the queen: a rook, a bishop or a knight.This is called underpromotion or minor promotion. ‘Minor’ is Latin and means ‘less’. Your pawn turns into a piece that is worth less than a queen.
When is underpromoting a smart choice? When it results in a checkmate, for instance. Or when it gains you material.
The best minor promotion is usually promoting to a knight. For the knight moves in a way that the queen cannot: it jumps in a L-shaped manner. (Whereas rooks and bishops move in ways that the queen, too, may do.)
In example 1 White promotes to a knight, checkmating the king! Queening wouldn’t be smart, since Black wants to checkmate. By promoting with check, White stops this plan.
In example 2 White promotes to a knight because it wins him material. Thanks to a double attack on queen and king, White gains a lot of points.
What do you have to do?
Find the best way to promote your pawn.
White can promote his pawn. Should he queen it?
Well, it cannot be taken and it wins White a lot of points.
But what good are points when you are mated?
Yes, that is what Black can do: if the black queen follows the green arrow, it is checkmate.
Yet, White can still save himself.
Look at Black’s king. It has no safe squares to go to.
By promoting to a knight, White checks the king.
Black doesn’t have time to mate.
And there is more… click on the play button to see what we mean: Black himself is checkmated!
Well, it cannot be taken and it wins White a lot of points.
But what good are points when you are mated?
Yes, that is what Black can do: if the black queen follows the green arrow, it is checkmate.
Yet, White can still save himself.
Look at Black’s king. It has no safe squares to go to.
By promoting to a knight, White checks the king.
Black doesn’t have time to mate.
And there is more… click on the play button to see what we mean: Black himself is checkmated!
