What's on the UIL Chess Puzzle test
Every question type, counted from the released tests — and what to practice first.
The UIL A+ Chess Puzzle contest is an academic event for Texas students in grades 2 through 8. It is not a chess tournament — nobody plays a game. Students answer multiple-choice questions about chess positions printed on paper.
The format
| Division | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Grades 2–3 | 16 | 30 min |
| Grades 4–5 | 20 | 30 min |
| Grades 6–8 | 20 | 30 min |
| Tiebreaker (all grades) | 8 | 5 min |
One point per correct answer. Nothing is deducted for a wrong answer or a blank, so a student should never leave a question unanswered. Finishing early earns nothing, even for breaking ties.
What the questions actually ask
We went through every released UIL Chess Puzzle test and counted the question types. The distribution is remarkably stable from year to year:
| Question type | Share |
|---|---|
| Best move — usually checkmate in one | 41% |
| Check, checkmate or stalemate? | 14% |
| Mate in two — first or second move | 10% |
| How many moves to checkmate? | 9% |
| Outcome with best play | 7% |
| Material advantage | 5% |
| En passant | 5% |
| Which piece to capture | 3% |
| Which piece to promote to | 3% |
| Legal move / castling | 2% |
What this means for practice
More than half the test is two things: finding checkmate in one, and telling check from checkmate from stalemate. A student who masters only those two is already scoring above average. Everything else is worth a fraction as much.
How the answers are printed
Moves appear in figurine algebraic notation — a small piece symbol followed by the destination square, like ♕g7 or ♖xd3. Pawn moves show only the square (e4). Castling is O-O or O-O-O, and promotion looks like e8=♕.
One detail worth knowing: the answer choices deliberately omit the + and # symbols for check and checkmate, because those would give the answer away. Students have to spot check and mate themselves.
Reading the diagrams
White always moves up the page and Black moves down. Every square has an address — the file letter first, then the rank number — and the frame around each diagram is labeled to help.
Test-day strategy
- Never leave a blank. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so guess on anything you cannot solve.
- Use all 30 minutes. Finishing early is worth nothing, even in a tie.
- Bank the early questions. The first few are usually check/stalemate and material counting — fast, easy points.
- Read the question twice. "First move," "second move" and "how many moves" all appear and are easily confused.
Every topic, explained
Common questions
What is UIL Chess Puzzle?
A University Interscholastic League A+ Academics event for Texas students in grades 2 through 8. Students answer multiple-choice questions about printed chess positions; they do not play games.
How many questions are on the UIL Chess Puzzle test?
Sixteen questions for grades 2-3 and twenty for grades 4-8, with 30 minutes to complete them, plus an eight-question tiebreaker with a five-minute limit.
Is there a penalty for guessing on the UIL Chess Puzzle test?
No. One point is awarded per correct answer and nothing is deducted for wrong or blank answers, so students should answer every question.
What is the most common question type?
Best-move questions, about 41% of the test, most of which are checkmate in one.
Do you need to be good at chess to do well?
No. The test rewards recognizing a short list of patterns rather than playing strength. Students who have never played a full game can score well with focused practice.
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