Trapped piece exercises

An attacked piece whose every escape square is also covered. Play the winning move on the board below. Each position is verified: the solution is the strongest move, and the write-up tells you exactly what it wins. Read the full trapped piece guide first if the pattern is new to you.

Solved 0 of 4 · first-try accuracy 0%

1. Exercise 1: White to play: force mate.

   Position (FEN): 8/4K3/4B2n/8/8/2b1r3/3nR1kR/8 w - - 0 1

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   White to play: force mate.

   easy · forced mate

   Hint 1Show solution
   Written solution

   Rexg2# — Rexg2# forces mate. Every black reply runs into the same net, so the game ends on the spot.

2. Exercise 2: White to play: win the trapped piece.

   Position (FEN): 6k1/5ppp/8/8/8/1N6/1P3PPP/b5K1 w - - 0 1

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   White to play: win the trapped piece.

   easy · wins ~3.2 pawns

   Hint 1Show solution
   Written solution

   Nxa1 — Nxa1 collects a whole bishop. The bishop grabbed a pawn in the corner and the b2 pawn sealed the only diagonal, so the knight simply walks over and takes it.

3. Exercise 3: White to play: win the trapped piece.

   Position (FEN): 6k1/5ppp/8/8/7q/6P1/5P1P/6K1 w - - 0 1

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   White to play: win the trapped piece.

   easy · wins ~9 pawns

   Hint 1Show solution
   Written solution

   gxh4 — gxh4 wins the queen. Once it stepped onto h4 the queen had no safe square left, and a pawn capture is the cheapest possible way to punish a trapped piece.

4. Exercise 4: White to play: win the trapped piece.

   Position (FEN): 6k1/5ppp/8/8/8/8/5PKP/7r w - - 0 1

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   White to play: win the trapped piece.

   easy · wins ~5 pawns

   Hint 1Show solution
   Written solution

   Kxh1 — Kxh1 wins a rook. Corner squares are the classic trap: the rook has no flight square that stays defended, so the king just eats it.