Tactics · Learn
Trapped Pieces
A piece deep in enemy territory or short of squares can be trapped: surrounded and won even though it isn't attacked yet. Greedy pawn-grabs (a queen or bishop that wandered off) are the usual victims.
How to spot it: count an enemy piece's safe squares. If they're few, take them away one by one with pawns and pieces until it has nowhere to go. Bishops that snatch an a-pawn/h-pawn and rooks that grab a b-pawn are classic sitting ducks.
How to spot it: count an enemy piece's safe squares. If they're few, take them away one by one with pawns and pieces until it has nowhere to go. Bishops that snatch an a-pawn/h-pawn and rooks that grab a b-pawn are classic sitting ducks.
Now spot it yourself
A real position: find the move. This is exactly what the drills in the app do, banded from beginner to expert.
How this lesson is made: this public explanation comes from the authored Strong Squares curriculum. Automated checks protect its chess data, source fields and learning flow. Independent chess-editor approval remains part of the private-preview release process. Read the teaching method.