Part of Mission: Chess · follows Lesson 0002
Openings get you a good position. Tactics are how you actually win — capturing material, delivering checkmate, and not blundering your own pieces away. Most games at club level are decided by who spots the tactic first.
A hanging piece has no defender. If you can capture it, do — unless something worse happens to you (like losing your queen).
Beginners lose more games by leaving pieces hanging than by any opening mistake. Always scan the board for undefended pieces — yours and theirs.
A fork is when one piece attacks two enemy pieces simultaneously. The opponent can only save one.
Knights are the champion forkers — they jump in ways other pieces can't. Always check where your knight (and theirs) could land next.
When a king is trapped on the back rank by its own pawns, a rook or queen on the 8th rank can deliver checkmate with nowhere to run.
Watch for this pattern both ways: create luft (give your king an escape square with h3 or a3) and punish opponents who don't.
Up a piece? Don't panic-attack. Trade pieces (not pawns), keep your king safe, and simplify toward an endgame you can win. The biggest mistake when winning is getting careless and blundering it back.
Primary source: Lichess Training — do 5 puzzles daily after this lesson. Quick lookup: Winning tactics reference. Previous: Lesson 0002 — Opening Principles.