Attacking and Defending Pieces
A piece is said to attack (or threaten) an opponent's piece if, in the next move, it could capture that piece. A piece is said to defend (or protect) a piece of the defender's color if, in case the defended piece were taken by the opponent, the defender could recapture right away. Attacking a piece usually, but not always (see sacrifice), forces the opponent to respond if the attacked piece is undefended, or if the attacking piece is of lower value than the attacked one.
When attacked, one has several options:
- Capture the attacking piece.
- Move the attacked piece.
- Interpose another piece in between the two, if the attacker is not a knight and is not directly adjacent to the piece attacked.
- Guard the attacked piece and permit an exchange.
- Pin the attacking piece so the capture becomes illegal or unprofitable.
- Use a zwischenzug (create a counter-threat).
Read more about this topic: Chess Tactic
Famous quotes containing the words attacking, defending and/or pieces:
“In the world there is nothing more submissive and weak than water. Yet for attacking that which is hard and strong nothing can surpass it.”
—Lao-Tzu (6th century B.C.)
“I make this direct statement to the American people that there is far less chance of the United States getting into war, if we do all we can now to support the nations defending themselves against attack by the Axis than if we acquiesce in their defeat, submit tamely to an Axis victory, and wait our turn to be the object of attack in another war later on.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)
“The chess-board is the world; the pieces are the phenomena of the universe; the rules of the game are what we call the laws of Nature. The player on the other side is hidden from us. We know that his play is always fair, just, and patient. But also we know, to our cost, that he never overlooks a mistake, or makes the smallest allowance for ignorance.”
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–1895)