Chess For Novices - A Guide for Fresh Beginners and Aspiring Novices

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Chess Counting

Counting is all about evaluating potential exchanges to see whether you come out ahead or behind. This is an essential skill to develop before moving on to more difficult tactical problems.

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White to move. Does Rxd5 win a pawn?

Consider the example to the right. It's white's move. Can he play Rxd5 and safely capture the black Pawn?

The answer is yes. Black only protects the Pawn with one piece, while white attacks the pawn with two pieces. The exchange might go:

1. Rxd5 Rxd5
2. Bxd5

White has exchanged a Rook (5 points) for a Rook and a Pawn (6 points). He has come out ahead by a Pawn in the trade.

The next two pages present some exercises to work through.


Back - Next
Chess Tactics - Table of Contents
Introduction - What Are Tactics?
Piece Safety - Exercises (1) - Exercises (2)
Counting - Exercises (1) - Exercises (2)
Tactical Motifs Introduction
The Fork - Exercises
The Knight Fork - Exercises
The Pin - Exercises
The Skewer - Exercises
The Discovered Attack - Exercises
Removal of the Guard - Exercises
Back Rank Checkmates - Exercises (1) - Exercises (2)
Conclusion