Suppose your opponent's captured a piece and you have two ways to recapture. How do you decide which to choose?

Or you have three ways to get out of check. Again, how do you make the decision?

Or perhaps your Queen is threatened and you have four safe squares. You have to make your mind up what you're going to do.

What do you do? Do you look into the crystal ball and try to predict the future?

Or do you consider EVERY possible move and try to look as far ahead as you can?

Not just checking that your piece cannot be taken, but also that you're not moving away an important defender, allowing a CHECKMATE or walking into a FORK, PIN or AMBUSH.

You really have to learn to do this EVERY MOVE of EVERY GAME.

Before you play your move try to see the new position in your head and consider EVERY CHECK, CAPTURE or THREAT your opponent will have in that position.

Let's look at a few examples.

Here's a very simple example.

Black's just captured on d4 and White has to decide whether to play Rd1xd4 or c3xd4. What would YOU do?

Rd1xd4 c3xd4

Don't know Don't care
An easy question, I hope.

If you take with the Rook you get mated by Rb8-b1+ so there's no choice - you MUST play c3xd4.

You probably had no trouble with that question because you're used to BACK RANK MATES.

But sometimes you have to watch out for slightly less familiar ideas.

Now have a go at this one. Again, Black's just captured a Knight, this time on c3. You must take back, but should you take with the Queen or the Pawn?

b2xc3 Qc2xc3

Don't know Don't care
If you took with the Pawn, congratulations on finding the right answer, but do you see why?

It might look tempting to take with the Queen, to threaten the Bishop on c5 and the Pawn on e5.

But unfortunately Black can reply with Bc5-b4, PINNING and WINNING the White Queen.

(By the way, most strong players would rather take with the Pawn anyway, to get another pawn in the center of the board.

You must ALWAYS look at EVERY CHECK, CAPTURE and THREAT in the new position before you play your next move.

We're now going to give you some practice.

We're going to show you some positions with an arrow showing the move we want you to consider.

If you think the move is SAFE, write the word 'ace' (in lower case) in the box.

If you are scared of something, write down the move you think your opponent will play next if you play the move with the arrow.

If you're happy with that, we'll continue!

If you like the move with the arrow, type 'ace'. If you don't like it, enter the move Black would play in reply to the move with the arrow.
Yes, if you play Qd1-g4 in this position you'll allow Qa6xf1#!!

You see what's happened? In the diagram the White Queen is DEFENDING the Rook on f1 - moving it away allows checkmate in one move!

It's VERY easy to make a mistake like this if you're not careful!

If you like the move with the arrow, type 'ace'. If you don't like it, enter the move Black would play in reply to the move with the arrow.
This one's a bit harder to see, but again the moves is not safe.

If White plays Rd6xa6, Black will reply Bg6-d3, EXPLOITING the PIN on the c-file to FORK the two White Rooks.

Use your eyes. Look at EVERY CHECK, CAPTURE and THREAT in the new position BEFORE making your move.

EVERY TIME.

If you like the move with the arrow, type 'ace'. If you don't like it, enter the move Black would play in reply to the move with the arrow.
Another fairly easy one.

It looks good to move the Knight to e4, THREATENING both the Rook and a CHECK on f6.

But sadly, if White plays this move he's blocking the Queen's defense of the Rook on e1.

Again, you've got to see them!!

If you like the move with the arrow, type 'ace'. If you don't like it, enter the move Black would play in reply to the move with the arrow.
Again, the suggested move isn't safe. Do you see why?

The move b3-b4 unguards the c4 square, allowing Ne5-c4, THREATENING the Queen and ATTACKING the Bishop on e3.

Unhappily for White he has no way of moving his Queen so that it still DEFENDS the Bishop.

Before you play ANY move ask yourself this question:

IF I DO THAT, WHAT WILL MY OPPONENT DO NEXT?

If you like the move with the arrow, type 'ace'. If you don't like it, enter the move Black would play in reply to the move with the arrow.
If your opponent's not THREATENING anything it's all too easy to think 'No threat - so I can do whatever I like.'

But chess isn't quite as simple as that.

If White moves the Rook up the board he leaves his BACK RANK vulnerable to a CHECKMATE in one move!

When someone makes a mistake they usually say 'But I thought it was safe'!

DON'T THINK - LOOK!!

If you like the move with the arrow, type 'ace'. If you don't like it, enter the move Black would play in reply to the move with the arrow.
This one's a bit harder to spot.

The move's still not safe - Rc5-a5 leaves the White Queen OVERWORKED - Black can play Re8xe2, metting Qd2xe2 with Qd8xa5.

Not so easy - but you still have to see this sort of thing BEFORE you play your move - and BEFORE you TOUCH YOUR PIECE.

Next time you play a game see if you can look out for ideas like this.

If you like the move with the arrow, type 'ace'. If you don't like it, enter the move Black would play in reply to the move with the arrow.
Again you have to look beyond the obvious recapture.

If White takes the Rook, Black will NOT take back - instead he'll play Qe8-e1#!! If you make a capture DON'T assume that your opponent will recapture. Usually he will, but sometimes there will be something better.

And likewise, if your opponent makes a capture there MIGHT just be something better than taking back.

If you like the move with the arrow, type 'ace'. If you don't like it, enter the move Black would play in reply to the move with the arrow.
Ha!! Fooled you that time, didn't I?

This time the move is SAFE!

If you take the Queen and Black plays Re7-e1+ YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THE ROOK!

Instead you can play Rf6-f1 and keep your extra Queen!!

Again, ASSUME NOTHING. Look at every possibility. Try to hold a chessboard in your head on which you can play out the possible moves. And make sure you know exactly where every piece is when you're doing this.

From now on it's BLACK'S move - so watch out!!

If you like the move with the arrow, type 'ace'. If you don't like it, enter the move Black would play in reply to the move with the arrow.
If Black plays a check with his Queen he's going to regret it!

White plays c4-c5, replying to a CHECK with a CHECK.

Black doesn't have time to take the pawn because he has to get out of check first. So next move White will just capture the Queen.

You always have to be THROROUGH when you're playing chess. Missing a very small point about the position can often be fatal!

If you like the move with the arrow, type 'ace'. If you don't like it, enter the move Black would play in reply to the move with the arrow.
Another example of the FALSE ASSUMPTION.

If Black takes the White Rook, White won't recapture at once, but will play the INTERMEDIATE MOVE Qd5-d8 first.

Then after the forced Bg7-f8 he plays Be3xc5 and Black cannot avoid mate for very long.

You MUST look at EVERY CHECK, CAPTURE and THREAT. Every move. Without fail.

If you like the move with the arrow, type 'ace'. If you don't like it, enter the move Black would play in reply to the move with the arrow.
Yet again, if you THREATEN the enemy Rook it's not just enough to consider Rook moves in reply.

The move c7-c6 opens up the 6th rank for the White Rook on a6 - and allows f2-f4#.

The mistakes are all there, waiting to be made!

If you like the move with the arrow, type 'ace'. If you don't like it, enter the move Black would play in reply to the move with the arrow.
It's easy to forget that the King can be used as an attacking piece.

In this position, if Black moves his Rook to the OPEN FILE White can move his King to g6, FORKING the two Black Rooks.

There's no way Black can save both of them!

If you like the move with the arrow, type 'ace'. If you don't like it, enter the move Black would play in reply to the move with the arrow.
Even in a simple position where it seems nothing could possibly go wrong you still have to be careful.

If the King moves to g4 White can play the amazing move c3-c4, SACRIFICING to get a PASSED PAWN.

If you look closely you'll see that, whatever Black tries, he cannot get either his King or his Bishop back to sto White getting a new Queen!.

For your last question it's White's move again.

If you like the move with the arrow, type 'ace'. If you don't like it, enter the move Black would play in reply to the move with the arrow.
A difficult question to finish with!

This time the suggested move IS, despite appearances, safe.

It goes like this: White plays a3xb4 and if Black plays Qa5xa1+, then Ke1-d2 Qa1xh1.

In this position, White can win with a mate you've seen before: Qf3xc6+ b7xc6 Be2-a6#!!

Congratulations!!

You have now completed the LOOKING AHEAD assignment.