Your Opponent!

In chess, you’ve got to be one step ahead of your opponent! Learn how to keep them on their toes by anticipating their moves.

Why did White just play 3.Bc4? What is White threatening? Find it and stop it!

Correct!

If Black wasn’t thinking, he might play …Nf6, attacking the queen. That move would be met by a fearsome response: Qxf7# – checkmate! So that was White’s plan, and the best way to stop it was to play …g6, not only blocking but also attacking the queen.

Your Move

(You play black)

If Black could move again, he would have captured the queen with the g6 pawn. So the queen moved away.
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White has renewed the threat of checkmate on f7. How can you stop it and get pieces out at the same time?

Correct!

Very good! There were some other ways to stop the checkmate threat, but this was the best way, since it developed a piece to a good square in the center.

Your Move

(You play black)

White is a persistent fellow!
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White is again attacking f7. There is no need to allow White to win a pawn. Black needs to make one final defensive move for f7. What is it?

The queen guards f7, and Black can now develop his kingside bishop to g7, get castled, and White will soon regret all the queen moves he’s made.

As we learned, we must think of every check, capture and Queen attack at all times. Click through this first move to get to our next question.

Black plays …Nf6 – surely a good, centralizing and developing move, but does it threaten the e-pawn?

Your Move

(You play black)

Let’s see…
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Can Black play 4 …Nxe4, capturing a pawn for free? If he can, then do it. If you don’t think that is a good move for some reason, then find a good developing move for one of your other pieces.

 Complete

Correct! White’s opening was a common trick which has caught many “pawn-grabbing” players, who weren’t paying attention. If Black grabbed that “free” pawn by 4…Nxe4, then White would play 5.Qa4+, which would check the king and attack the unguarded knight on e4 at the same time, winning it. Instead Black develops the other knight, and the game goes on.