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Recap: Free Pieces

Part of the Tactics section of Coddy's Chess journey. Lesson 6 of 48.

One chapter, one skill: seeing what is actually free. Hanging pieces are free; outnumbered squares are free if the cheap piece leads; everything else is a trade ruled by the numbers. And the old lessons never retire - they hide inside every position here.

Try it yourselfBeginner

Position 1 of 10

FindTwo black pieces stand in the centre, both attacked. Tap the free one.

All 10 positions

All lessons in Tactics

1Free Pieces

Hanging Pieces Counting Attackers Good Trades, Bad Trades Is It Safe?Puzzles: Take What Is FreeRecap: Free Pieces

4Skewers and Discoveries

The Skewer The Discovered Attack Discovered Check Double Check Puzzles: Hidden Weapons Recap: Skewers & Discoveries

7Mate in Two

Check, Reply, Mate The Quiet First Move All the Escape Squares Puzzles: Mate in Two 1 Puzzles: Mate in Two 2 Recap: Mate in Two

2The Fork

One Move, Two Threats Knight Forks Pawn and Queen Forks Seeing Forks Coming Puzzles: Fork Hunt 1 Puzzles: Fork Hunt 2 Recap: The Fork

5Removing the Defender

The Overloaded Piece Capture the Defender Deflection Puzzles: Guard Duty Recap: Removing Defenders

8Winning Endgames

King and Queen vs King King and Rook vs King The Pawn Race Opposition Project: Finish the Game

3The Pin

Pieces That Cannot Move The Relative Pin Winning a Pinned Piece Breaking a Pin Puzzles: Pin and Win Recap: The Pin

6Mate Patterns

Back Rank Revisited The Smothered Mate Queen Next to the King Rook Roller and Edge Mates Puzzles: Mate in One 1 Puzzles: Mate in One 2 Recap: Mate Patterns