A trapped piece is one with no safe square to move to, so it can be attacked and won. Taking away its squares is the tactic.
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A trapped piece is lost before anything attacks it. Pieces that grab pawns deep in enemy territory are the usual victims.
How to do it
- 1Find an enemy piece with only one or two squares to go to.
- 2Take those squares away, with pawns if you can.
- 3Attack the piece, and win it.
For your level
Count the squares an enemy piece can move to. If it has one or two, take them with pawns.
Check you have it
Pitch it for:
Question 1 of 1
Play the moves through and count. How much material has the attacker won?
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Common mistakes
- Attacking the piece before its escape squares are gone, so it gets away.
- Grabbing a pawn with a bishop and only then counting its escape squares.
Questions
- Which pieces get trapped most often?
- Bishops that take a rook's pawn, knights on the edge of the board, and queens that go pawn-hunting. In each case the piece is deep in enemy territory with few squares.