Prophylactic thinking is the habit of asking, before every move, what your opponent wants to do next, and taking that into account.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Start0/1
Most pieces lost in ordinary games are lost to a move the player never looked at, because they were busy with their own plan. Asking one question about the opponent's intentions every move catches most of those.
How to do it
- 1After your opponent moves, ask what that move threatens, even when it looks harmless.
- 2Before you move, ask what you would play in their place.
- 3If nothing is threatened, improve your worst piece or your king's safety.
For your level
At a higher level the question becomes what the opponent wants several moves from now. That plan is what to prevent.
Common mistakes
- Checking only for captures and missing a quiet move that sets up a threat.
- Asking the question after choosing your move, when it only confirms what you wanted.
Questions
- Does prophylactic thinking slow you down?
- A little at first. One question per move takes seconds, while recovering from a lost piece usually takes the rest of the game.