Example 1 · Spot a free capture
A rook finds a loose bishop
White to move
Attacker: White rook on a1. Target: Black bishop on a7.
Teaching move: Rxa7. Nothing guards the bishop on a7. The rook can travel straight up the a-file and capture it.
Beginner Chess · Week 1
Complete Handout · Assessment + Piece Safety
Today you will find out what you already know—and build a simple habit that helps you stop losing pieces.
1. What is piece safety?
A chess piece is under attack when an opponent’s piece could capture it. A piece is unprotected if no friendly piece guards it. A hanging piece is attacked and unprotected. When you spot one, check whether you can capture it safely.
A piece may be under attack and still be defended. Do not grab a protected piece without looking at the opponent’s reply. Your king is special: you may never leave it in check.
The SAFE scan — before every move: See your opponent’s last threat. Ask what is attacked. Find defenders and safe squares. Evaluate the reply: “What can they capture after my move?”
2. Ten worked examples
Point at the attacker, point at the target, and tell the class why the target is—or is not—safe.
Example 2 · Spot a free capture
The knight jumps to a rook
White to move
Attacker: White knight on e4. Target: Black rook on f6.
Teaching move: Nxf6. Knights jump in an L shape. The rook on f6 is unprotected, so Nxf6 safely wins it.
Example 3 · Defend a piece
A small pawn can guard a bishop
White to move
Attacker: Black rook on d8. Target: White bishop on d4.
Teaching move: c3. The rook threatens to capture on d4. Moving c2–c3 puts the pawn on c3, where it protects the bishop on d4.
Example 4 · Move away
Move your queen out of danger
White to move
Attacker: Black knight on f6. Target: White queen on h5.
Teaching move: Qe2. The knight attacks h5. Qe2 is a safe diagonal retreat; a queen is far too valuable to leave under attack.
Example 5 · Check the reply
Do not snatch a protected bishop
White to move
Attacker: Black bishop on g7. Target: White queen on d4.
Teaching move: Qe3. The bishop on g7 attacks the queen along the diagonal. Qe3 steps aside. Qxg7? would lose the queen to Kxg7.
Example 6 · Capture the attacker
Capture the piece doing the attacking
White to move
Attacker: Black knight on d6. Target: White bishop on c4.
Teaching move: exd6. The knight is ready to take the bishop. The pawn on e5 can capture that knight first: exd6.
Example 7 · Count the defenders
A defended knight is not free
Black to move
Attacker: Black queen on c7. Target: White knight on c4.
Why the capture is a mistake. The queen attacks the knight on c4, but White’s pawn on b3 guards c4. After Qxc4? bxc4, Black loses the queen.
Example 8 · Switch sides
Black can win loose pieces too
Black to move
Attacker: Black bishop on b7. Target: White rook on e4.
Teaching move: Bxe4. The bishop sees the rook along b7–c6–d5–e4. With no defender on e4, Bxe4 wins the rook.
Example 9 · Capture the attacker
Save your queen by capturing the threat
White to move
Attacker: Black knight on d4. Target: White queen on f3.
Teaching move: cxd4. The knight attacks the queen, but the pawn on c3 already attacks that knight. cxd4 removes the threat and wins the knight.
Example 10 · Think one move ahead
Look at the landing square first
White to move
Attacker: Black pawn on d6 (defends e5). Target: White knight on f3.
Teaching move: Nd2. Nxe5? would lose the knight to ...dxe5 because the black d6-pawn protects e5. Nd2 keeps the knight safe.
3. Your piece-safety checklist
- King first: Am I in check? Would my move leave my king in check?
- Look both ways: Which of my pieces and their pieces are attacked?
- Count guards: Is the target protected by another piece or pawn?
- Pick a safe action: Capture the attacker, move away, add a defender, or capture a loose piece.
- One more question: After I move, what can my opponent take?
4. Ten diagnostic exercises
Find the move first. Use Show hint if needed; Show answer reveals the coach’s solution.
Exercise 1 · Free capture · rook
The rook’s straight path
White to move
Task: Find the rook move that captures an unprotected bishop.
Look along the b-file.
Rxb6 — The rook moves straight from b1 to b6 and takes the loose bishop.
Exercise 2 · Free capture · bishop
A diagonal treasure
White to move
Task: Find the bishop move that captures a loose rook.
Trace the diagonal from c4.
Bxe6 — The bishop travels through d5 to capture the undefended rook on e6.
Exercise 3 · Free capture · Black
Black’s turn to collect
Black to move
Task: Black to move: capture White’s undefended bishop.
A rook can travel along its file.
Rxh3 — The rook travels down the open h-file and wins the bishop on h3.
Exercise 4 · Pawn capture
A pawn can take a knight
White to move
Task: Use your pawn to capture the black knight.
White pawns capture one square diagonally forward.
cxb5 — From c4, the pawn captures diagonally to b5, removing the undefended knight.
Exercise 5 · Queen safety
Rescue the queen
White to move
Task: The black knight attacks your queen. Find a safe diagonal retreat to the first rank.
Trace the long diagonal from g4 toward your back rank.
Qd1 — The knight on e5 attacks the queen on g4. Qd1 slides diagonally along g4–f3–e2–d1 to a safe first-rank square.
Exercise 6 · Capture the attacker
Remove the attacker
White to move
Task: The bishop attacks your rook. Capture the bishop with your knight.
Can your knight jump onto the bishop’s square?
Nxd6 — The bishop on d6 threatens the rook on c5. Nxd6 takes that bishop and saves the rook.
Exercise 7 · Defending
Guard your bishop
White to move
Task: The rook attacks your bishop. Protect the bishop with a pawn move without moving the bishop.
Which pawn could move so that it guards c4?
d3 — d3 lets the pawn on d3 defend the bishop on c4. If ...Rxc4, dxc4 recaptures the rook.
Exercise 8 · Capture · Black
Black wins a rook
Black to move
Task: Black to move: capture White’s loose rook.
Follow the black queen’s open file.
Qxe4 — The queen on e7 slides down to e4 and takes a rook that no white piece guards.
Exercise 9 · King safety
Get out of check
White to move
Task: Your king is in check from a knight! Capture the checking piece.
Which of your pawns can take on f3?
gxf3 — The knight on f3 checks the king on g1. gxf3 captures the knight and ends the check.
Exercise 10 · Capture with check
Queen versus rook
White to move
Task: Your queen is attacked by a rook on the same file. Capture that rook with check.
Your queen also moves straight along files. Is anything between d4 and d8?
Qxd8+ — Qxd8+ captures the attacking rook and checks the king on g8 across the eighth rank.
5. Fast review / exit ticket
- What does it mean if a piece is under attack?
- How is an unprotected piece different from a hanging piece?
- Name two ways to save an attacked piece.
- What is the first thing to check if your king is in danger?
- Say the SAFE scan aloud before one practice move.
6. Coach’s 60-minute lesson plan
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 0–6 min | Quick oral baseline: name how a rook, bishop, knight and pawn capture. |
| 6–18 min | Teach visual Examples 1–5: loose targets and safe retreats. |
| 18–30 min | Teach Examples 6–10: defenders, threats and opponent’s reply. |
| 30–47 min | Independent diagnostic: 10 exercises, brief hint only if needed. |
| 47–56 min | Pair mini-game: stop after every move and perform the SAFE scan. |
| 56–60 min | Exit ticket + coach records skill gaps for next lesson. |
7. Coaching guidance
Baseline, not a grade: Give one point per correct move (10 total). Mark an “H” if a student needed a hint. Record whether errors involve rook/bishop lines, knight jumps, pawn captures, defended targets, or king safety. Repeat those skills in the following lessons.
Mini-game: Play normal chess from the starting position. Before each move students point to an attacked piece and say one possible opponent reply. Stop to praise the thinking routine, not just the best move.
Sources and provenance
Original teaching diagrams: All 10 worked-example boards and all 10 exercise boards were created for this handout. None is claimed to be a historical game position, a quoted source diagram or a copied online puzzle. Their move ideas and positions are original instructional constructions. Each board is rendered as inline SVG using the Project’s canonical visual reference.
Concept adapted from: The sources below informed the order of instruction, terminology and safety checklist—not the 20 board positions. No text or copyrighted board screenshot was copied.
- Steps Method — Step 1. https://www.stappenmethode.nl/en/material/step1/handleiding-stap-1/. Teaching sequence: attacking, capturing, defending and check; lesson organization.
- Steps Method — Step 1 overview. https://www.stappenmethode.nl/en/step1.php/certificates.php. Beginner mixed practice: winning material, getting out of check, protecting pieces.
- Lichess — Learn chess. https://lichess.org/learn. Learning progression: Capture, Protection, Combat, Out of check.
- ChessKid — Attacks and Defenses, Part One. https://www.chesskid.com/learn/articles/attacks-and-defenses-part-one. Attacked versus undefended pieces, capturing safely.
- ChessKid — Checks, Captures, Queen Attacks!. https://www.chesskid.com/learn/articles/checks-captures-queen-attacks. Thinking about opponent threats, checks, captures and queen safety.
- Chess.com — Hanging Piece. https://www.chess.com/terms/hanging-piece-chess. Beginner definition and importance of spotting loose or attacked pieces.
These are source URLs for the coach’s reference. Internet access is not required to open any of the five HTML files or display any board.