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In a game of chess you get no hints. When your pieces are under attack, you must figure out how to save them all by yourself. So that’s what we are going to do in this lesson!
Have a look at the example. It teaches you how to pick the best defense method.
In a game of chess, don’t start defending an attacked piece straight away. First consider all defense options. Then pick the best one. This will help you to win more games.
What do you have to do?
Choose the best way of defending. Think about: moving away, protecting, capturing and blocking
Defense: mix
You have done a lot of defense exercises by now. But so far, each lesson had you practise a single defense method. So you knew what you had to do.In a game of chess you get no hints. When your pieces are under attack, you must figure out how to save them all by yourself. So that’s what we are going to do in this lesson!
Have a look at the example. It teaches you how to pick the best defense method.
In a game of chess, don’t start defending an attacked piece straight away. First consider all defense options. Then pick the best one. This will help you to win more games.
What do you have to do?
Choose the best way of defending. Think about: moving away, protecting, capturing and blocking
Black’s rook attacks the white queen. White can do several things to defend.
But only one actually saves the queen. We’ll show you.
Moving away is pointless. The queen can go to one of the red squares on the right. But only to be taken by the knight or the bishop.
Capturing the attacker isn’t smart, either. The bishop protects the rook. White wins 5 points in taking the rook. But losing his queen will cost him 9 points. A total loss of 4 points…
Then what? Protecting the queen with the bishop? No, that makes no sense. A queen is more valuable than a rook. This is not a good exchange for White.
Now, there is only one way left: blocking. And hurray! Blocking works! White places his bishop between the queen and the rook. The queen is safe.
But only one actually saves the queen. We’ll show you.
Moving away is pointless. The queen can go to one of the red squares on the right. But only to be taken by the knight or the bishop.
Capturing the attacker isn’t smart, either. The bishop protects the rook. White wins 5 points in taking the rook. But losing his queen will cost him 9 points. A total loss of 4 points…
Then what? Protecting the queen with the bishop? No, that makes no sense. A queen is more valuable than a rook. This is not a good exchange for White.
Now, there is only one way left: blocking. And hurray! Blocking works! White places his bishop between the queen and the rook. The queen is safe.