Made in IndiaLearn › Lessons › Middlegame and tactics › Basics
Checks, captures, threats
The three questions strong players ask before every move.
Beginner · Basics · 2 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.
Step 1
Strong players look at forcing moves first. Ask, in this order: Which checks do I have? Which captures? Which threats? Then ask the same about your opponent: what are they threatening?
Step 2
Moves: 43.Nf6+
Here the first check White looks at, knight to f6, is the winner: it attacks the king and the rook on e8 at the same time. Gukesh found exactly this at the 2019 World Blitz Championship.
Open the lesson on the board · free, no account needed to read it.
More lessons in Basics
- Piece values and good trades: Pawn 1, knight 3, bishop 3, rook 5, queen 9: learn to count before you capture.
- Free pieces and safe pieces: Take pieces nobody defends, and never leave your own hanging.
- Counting attackers and defenders: Two attackers beat one defender: count before you capture.
Next lesson: Italian Game (Giuoco Piano)