Stopping an Attack

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15.1 Five Defensive Methods

1. Capture the attacker. The simplest defence is to take the most

dangerous attacking piece, even if it costs material.

2. Block the line. Put a piece on the file or diagonal that leads to

your king.

3. Cover the key square. Bring a piece that guards the mating square

or the escape squares.

4. Exchange queens. Without the queen most attacks die. Offer

exchanges, especially with check.

5. Give back material. A counter-sacrifice that breaks the attack is

often better than holding on to an extra piece and getting mated.

15.2 Defend With the Least Valuable Piece

If you can stop a threat in several ways, choose the one that keeps your position healthy: a pawn move that blocks is fine if it does not create new weaknesses; a piece that covers the square should not abandon another important job. And always check that your defence does not walk into a new tactic.

15.3 Worked Examples

In every example one side is under attack. Find the defence that stops it.