Is it Hanging or Protected?

Hey there chessers! Has your coach ever written on your notation sheet: "Remember to ask if it's hanging or protected?" I think I must write this like a hundred times a weekend. I should get a stamp! This must be a basic stage of chess mastery! Have you ever hung a piece and had it captured for free?

Think of a hanging piece like a loose tooth. It is barely hanging on, and you could easily swipe it! The synonym for hanging is unprotected. The fancy French word for it is "en prise." Here comes the tooth fairy, aka BoundingOwl, aka Mrs Jessica E Prescott.

It is your job to find the hanging piece in the puzzles below.

1. White can capture a black piece that is hanging.

How did this happen? I think black must have just put his/her bishop on c5 because that's a normal place for it to go. Tip: Look at the whole board and ask yourself, "Hey! If I put it there, will it be hanging or protected?!"

2. One is hanging, one is protected. Find white's best move.

3. White can capture a hanging piece.

4. Black can capture a white piece that is unprotected.

(The power of the fianchetto!)

5. Small things can capture, too. Black to move.

6. Black to move and make a capture.

Excellent! How fast were you? I mean, how fast were you, getting them all right?! If you go fast and just trade or lose a piece, well, then, you have not mastered this stage. Go back and try again! This may seem like a basic stage, and it is. But if you can get through a game without hanging any of your pieces and by capturing your opponents' hanging pieces...you'll quickly get over 1000 if you aren't already!

See you next week, and brush your teeth!