Level 1 · 6 min · 10 puzzles
Is my piece safe?
After every move they make, ask: what is it attacking?
Practise it
White to move
One of your pieces is in danger. Save it.
Black just moved the king from g8 to f7.
- 1After every opponent move, ask: what is it attacking?
- 2Save a piece by moving it, protecting it, or taking the attacker.
- 3Check that your answer does not leave something else hanging.
The longer explanation
The other half of the habit. Spotting free pieces is half of it. The other half is not being the one who gives them away. Most blunders at this level are not complicated: a piece was attacked, and the player did not notice.
Look at the move they just played. After every move your opponent makes, ask: what does that move attack? Is it one of my pieces? Is that piece protected? It takes five seconds, and it is the single biggest change you can make.
Three ways to save a piece. Move it away. Protect it, so a capture would cost them something. Or take the piece that is attacking it. Often the best answer is a move that does two jobs at once, but any of these is far better than ignoring the threat.