Chess lessons › Good chess habits
Seeing two moves ahead
Before you move, ask what your opponent can reply, and what you can play after that.
The idea
Ask what your opponent can reply, and what you can play after that.
- The rook can give check here, but the queen can take it.
- This queen takes the rook, so at first it looks like a blunder.
- One move further, this knight checks from e7 and attacks the queen too.
In a game: Before you move, ask what they can do then, and what you can do after that.
How the lesson begins
A move is not finished when you have chosen it. Ask two more questions: what can my opponent do then? And what can I do after that? Many blunders come from skipping the first question, and many good moves are found by asking the second.
Here White can give check with Rc8+. It looks like a blunder, because the black queen takes the rook. Look one move further.
Find the move
White to move. Give up the rook with check, let the queen take it, and then find the move that wins.
A hint
If the queen takes on c8, which knight jump attacks the king and the queen together?
Show the answer
1. Rc8+ Qxc8 2. Ne7+
Rc8+ gives up the rook, and the queen has to take it. Then Ne7+ attacks the king and the queen together. After the king moves, the knight takes the queen, and you have won a queen for a rook.