defence · recognise → explain → apply

Block a check with a protected bishop

A rook invades with check while your bishop can cover the checking file.

Explanation styleChoose any style. Age is not playing strength; no birth date is needed.

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Gelfand, Boris – Karpov, Anatoly

Cap d'Agde KO · 1998.10.30 · 0-1

38... Bd8 · White to move

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What to notice at 38... Bd8

After Rxc8+, Black blocks with the bishop. Karpov subsequently wins; the defensive move preserves his active pieces.

A legally replayed historical example, not a claim that every move is best. A game’s result does not prove every defensive position was lost or drawn.

Game source ↗

Your thinking first

Name the signal, choose a plan, and test the opponent’s most challenging response.

What do you notice?What is your plan, and why?How could the opponent resist?

Recall and explain

1. Why is 38...Bd8 different from a random retreat?

Explain it in your own words before revealing.

Make it memorable

A small door can stop a large rook.

Teach this to a friend in one minute. Then return to a different example and look for the same signal without being told its name.

Reflect and revisit

This is your self-assessment, not an engine grade or a promise of mastery.

Connect the ideas

Sources and further reading

Original LumaChess teaching and game analysis. Topic references are credited below; no affiliation or endorsement is implied.

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