Chess Thinking
Counting defenders
Before capturing a defended piece, count: how many pieces attack it vs how many defend it. If you have more attackers than defenders, the trade wins material. If equal or fewer, you may be losing the piece.
3 interactive positions - drag or click to make your move
White to move
Chess Thinking · Counting defenders
White to move. The black pawn on d5 is under attack by TWO white pieces: the knight on e3 and the rook on e1. Black only defends with the pawn on c6. That's 2 attackers vs 1 defender. Count and capture!
Drag a piece to its destination, or tap/click to select then tap the target square.
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Chess Thinking
Don't hang pieces
A 'hanging' piece is undefended and can be captured for free. Spotting your own hanging pieces before moving - and your opponent's - is the single fastest way to stop losing material.
Tactics
What is a fork?
A fork attacks two pieces at the same time with one move. Knights are the best forkers because their moves cannot be blocked. Find the fork in each position.
Tactics
What is a pin?
A pin stops a piece from moving because moving it would expose a more valuable piece behind it. An absolute pin involves the king - the pinned piece literally cannot move.
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