Chess Flashcards
Fork
Threatening 2 pieces at once
Development
Moving your pieces off the starting squares to positions where they affect more of the board
Control of Center
Positioning your pieces so they are in the center, maximizing their mobility and limiting your opponent’s.
Passed pawn
A pawn which cannot be threatened by another pawn as it crosses the board
Open File
A column clear of pawns allowing rooks to move to the back rank
Pin
When a piece is threatened such that if it moves it exposes a more valuable piece to the same threat
Skewer
Threatening a piece such that if it moves out of the way the threat falls onto a less powerful piece
Revealed threat
When a threat is created by moving your own piece out of the way.
(Forking opportunity)
Overworked Defender
One piece is protecting 2 other pieces, so if either piece is traded it makes the other vulnerable.
Control of Tempo
Making sure that each of your moves creates a problem for your opponent. This keeps your opponent defending and leaves no time to attack.
Forced move
Zugzwang
Every option makes things worse.
But not moving is not an option.
Attack the Defender
If they let you trade pieces then that leaves the previously defended piece hanging.
