Trapped piece puzzles
A piece has no safe square, so you can win it.
About trapped piece puzzles
A piece has no safe square, so you can win it. Bishops and knights near the edge, and queens that wander too far, are common victims.
How to spot it
- Count the safe squares an attacked piece has. If none, attack it.
- Take away its last square with a pawn or a piece instead of attacking right away.
- Beware of grabbing a pawn with a piece that then cannot get back.
A common mistake
Attacking a piece that still has one safe square. Take away that square first.
A worked example
K
R
B
NR
B
Q
Q
R
N
B
KRBlack to move. White has just played Qxd4. Find the best move.
Solution: 13... Bc5 14. Qxc5 Qxc5
Bc5 attacks the queen on d4. The idea: A piece has no safe square, so you can win it.
The highlighted squares show White's last move. This position is a different puzzle from the ones you start with above (1206 rating).
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Questions
How do pieces get trapped?
Usually they venture into enemy territory or the edge, where few squares are available, and then a pawn or piece takes away the last escape.
Where do these puzzles come from?
They are real puzzles from the Lichess puzzle database, which is free to use under the CC0 license. Each one was built from a real game and tested by many players. We picked well-rated ones with good popularity scores.
Are the puzzles free?
Yes. There is no signup, no limit and no ads on the puzzles. Your progress on this page is not saved after you leave.
What do the difficulty levels mean?
Beginner puzzles are rated under 1250, intermediate 1250 to 1749 and advanced 1750 and up, using the rating Lichess players earned on each puzzle.