defence · recognise → explain → apply

Keep the king’s corner under observation

A knight or queen could approach the king through a weak colour complex.

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

Loading progress…

Notes and replay positions are saved. Practice games are temporary; export their PGN to keep them.

Choose an example

Nepomniachtchi,I – Carlsen,M

Airthings Masters Prelim · 2020.12.28 · 1/2-1/2

22... Bg7 · White to move

Jump to move

What to notice at 22... Bg7

The recorded game alternates ...Bf8 and ...Bg7 while White’s knight also manoeuvres; the game ends drawn.

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. What changes when the bishop returns from f8 to g7?

Explain it in your own words before revealing.

Make it memorable

Do not remove the door guard without a replacement.

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.

Exeter Chess Club — The Theory of Steinitz ↗