Chromium(II) chloride is shown to be a useful reducing agent for benzoquinones and 1,4-naphthoquinones. 2-Alkyl-3-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinones are reduced to the trihydroxynaphthalenes by chromium(II) acetate and to the 1,3-dihydroxynaphthalenes by chromium(II) chloride in the presence of hypophosphorus acid.