What is under attack?

Step 1 of 7

Look first

A piece attacks an opponent’s piece if it could capture it on the next move.

You are playing Black. Tap all your pieces that the white knight on d5 attacks. Check your answer once you have marked them all.

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space marks a square or removes the mark.

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Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a square from a list

Square h1, emptyg1, white kingf1, emptye1, emptyd1, emptyc1, emptyb1, emptya1, emptyh2, white pawng2, white pawnf2, white pawne2, emptyd2, emptyc2, emptyb2, emptya2, emptyh3, emptyg3, emptyf3, emptye3, emptyd3, emptyc3, emptyb3, emptya3, emptyh4, emptyg4, emptyf4, black rooke4, emptyd4, emptyc4, emptyb4, emptya4, emptyh5, emptyg5, emptyf5, emptye5, emptyd5, white knightc5, emptyb5, emptya5, emptyh6, emptyg6, emptyf6, emptye6, emptyd6, black bishopc6, emptyb6, emptya6, emptyh7, black pawng7, black pawnf7, black pawne7, black queend7, emptyc7, black rookb7, emptya7, emptyh8, emptyg8, black kingf8, emptye8, emptyd8, emptyc8, emptyb8, emptya8, empty Mark or unmark

Position as a list

White

• King g1
• Knight d5
• Pawn f2
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h2

Black

• King g8
• Queen e7
• Rook c7
• Rook f4
• Bishop d6
• Pawn f7
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h7

Step 2 of 7

Decide

A piece is protected if another piece of the same colour could recapture when it is taken.

You are playing Black. The white bishop on b5 attacks your knight on c6. Is the knight protected?

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

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hgfedcba

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Position as a list

White

• King e1
• Queen d1
• Rook a1
• Rook h1
• Bishop b5
• Bishop c1
• Knight b1
• Knight f3
• Pawn a2
• Pawn b2
• Pawn c2
• Pawn d2
• Pawn e4
• Pawn f2
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h2

Black

• King e8
• Queen d8
• Rook a8
• Rook h8
• Bishop c8
• Bishop f8
• Knight c6
• Knight g8
• Pawn a7
• Pawn b7
• Pawn c7
• Pawn d7
• Pawn e5
• Pawn f7
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h7

Is the knight on c6 protected?

Yes, the pawns on b7 and d7 protect it Yes, but only the queen on d8 protects it No, no piece protects it

Step 3 of 7

Try it

Before every move, ask: what is my opponent attacking? Is it protected?

You are playing White. Black has just moved a rook to e8. What is Black threatening? Tap the piece Black wants to capture.

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space marks a square or removes the mark.

87654321

abcdefgh

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a square from a list

Square a8, emptyb8, emptyc8, emptyd8, emptye8, black rookf8, emptyg8, black kingh8, emptya7, black pawnb7, emptyc7, emptyd7, emptye7, emptyf7, black pawng7, black pawnh7, emptya6, emptyb6, black bishopc6, emptyd6, emptye6, emptyf6, emptyg6, emptyh6, black pawna5, emptyb5, emptyc5, emptyd5, emptye5, emptyf5, emptyg5, emptyh5, emptya4, emptyb4, emptyc4, emptyd4, emptye4, white knightf4, emptyg4, emptyh4, emptya3, emptyb3, emptyc3, emptyd3, emptye3, emptyf3, emptyg3, emptyh3, white pawna2, emptyb2, emptyc2, emptyd2, emptye2, emptyf2, white pawng2, white pawnh2, emptya1, emptyb1, emptyc1, emptyd1, white bishope1, emptyf1, white rookg1, emptyh1, white king Mark or unmark

Position as a list

White

• King h1
• Rook f1
• Bishop d1
• Knight e4
• Pawn f2
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h3

Black

• King g8
• Rook e8
• Bishop b6
• Pawn a7
• Pawn f7
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h6

Step 4 of 7

Save your piece

Your opponent can simply capture a piece that is attacked and unprotected. We call it a hanging piece.

Save your knight on e4. Afterwards, no white piece should be hanging.

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

87654321

abcdefgh

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a move from a list

Move Nc5 – knight from e4 to c5Nd6 – knight from e4 to d6Nf6+ – knight from e4 to f6Ng5 – knight from e4 to g5Ng3 – knight from e4 to g3Nd2 – knight from e4 to d2Nc3 – knight from e4 to c3h4 – pawn from h3 to h4f3 – pawn from f2 to f3f4 – pawn from f2 to f4g3 – pawn from g2 to g3g4 – pawn from g2 to g4Bc2 – bishop from d1 to c2Bb3 – bishop from d1 to b3Ba4 – bishop from d1 to a4Be2 – bishop from d1 to e2Bf3 – bishop from d1 to f3Bg4 – bishop from d1 to g4Bh5 – bishop from d1 to h5Rg1 – rook from f1 to g1Re1 – rook from f1 to e1Kh2 – king from h1 to h2Kg1 – king from h1 to g1 Play move

Position as a list

White

• King h1
• Rook f1
• Bishop d1
• Knight e4
• Pawn f2
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h3

Black

• King g8
• Rook e8
• Bishop b6
• Pawn a7
• Pawn f7
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h6

Step 5 of 7

Attack, protect, save

If your opponent wants to capture something or give checkmate on the next move, we call that a threat. That is why you check what they are attacking before every move.

If a piece is attacked and unprotected, it is hanging. You can save it by moving it away, protecting it or putting another piece in between.

Check the new square too: if the piece is attacked there and unprotected, it is still hanging.

A counter-attack usually does not save the piece, because your opponent captures first.

Step 6 of 7

New position, same idea

This time, nobody tells you which piece is in danger.

You are playing Black, and it is your turn. Check what White attacks and save the piece in danger.

Arrow keys move the focus across the squares. Enter or Space selects a piece and moves it to a highlighted square. Escape cancels the selection.

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hgfedcba

Which piece should the pawn become?

Queen Rook Bishop Knight

Cancel

Choose a move from a list

Move Bd7 – bishop from c8 to d7Be6 – bishop from c8 to e6Bf5 – bishop from c8 to f5Bg4 – bishop from c8 to g4Bh3 – bishop from c8 to h3Bb7 – bishop from c8 to b7Ba6 – bishop from c8 to a6Re8 – rook from d8 to e8Rf8 – rook from d8 to f8Rd7 – rook from d8 to d7Rd6 – rook from d8 to d6Rd5 – rook from d8 to d5Rd4 – rook from d8 to d4Rd3 – rook from d8 to d3Rd2 – rook from d8 to d2Rd1+ – rook from d8 to d1Kh8 – king from g8 to h8Kf8 – king from g8 to f8f6 – pawn from f7 to f6f5 – pawn from f7 to f5g6 – pawn from g7 to g6h6 – pawn from h7 to h6h5 – pawn from h7 to h5 Play move

Position as a list

White

• King g1
• Bishop g5
• Knight c3
• Pawn f2
• Pawn g2
• Pawn h2

Black

• King g8
• Rook d8
• Bishop c8
• Pawn f7
• Pawn g7
• Pawn h7

Step 7 of 7

What you take away

Now you check what is attacked before moving. In the next lesson, you will give checkmate yourself, with king and rook or queen.