Chapter 1 · Step 1 / 168
Read the board: learn the principle
5 focused minutes · Free lesson
The idea
A useful thinking routine starts with the position your opponent just created. Ask whether either king is in check, which captures are legal, and which pieces became undefended. A forcing move narrows the reply, but a check is not automatically a good move. Count what can happen after your idea before moving. Scanning the whole board is a skill: practise it slowly before expecting it to work in a blitz game.
Your board task
Set up the starting position. Name the files, ranks and both kings' squares. Explain why a piece's destination and the square it stops defending both matter.
Use your own recent game or an analysis board. These are guided study tasks; they are not automatic engine assessments.
Open the analysis board ↗Try it on the board
Capture the queen with your bishop.
Follow the goal above: select a piece, then its destination.
Boardprint guided example
Before you move on
Read the principle, then explain it in your own words before moving on.
You should be able to name the opponent's immediate threat, at least two legal candidates, and the reply that would make you reject your first idea.
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