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.
3 interactive positions - drag or click to make your move
White to move
Chess Thinking · Don't hang pieces
White to move. The black knight on e4 is completely undefended - no black piece protects it. White can capture it for free. Find the free capture!
Drag a piece to its destination, or tap/click to select then tap the target square.
Practice on your real games
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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.
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.
Practise on your real games
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