Defence and Prophylaxis
The other side of the attack: how to see it coming, stop it before it starts, and find the defence that holds when it arrives.
Most attacking lessons are taught from the attacker's side. This course is about the other side: recognising the attack before it starts, taking the move that stops it, and, when it arrives anyway, finding the one defence that holds.
Each lesson gives a checklist of the defender's conditions, each shown with a move that holds and one that loses, then the defence move by move and positions to solve.
Lessons
- 1Defending Against the Greek GiftBxh7+ is easiest to stop before it is played. Do not castle when the three attackers are ready, keep a knight on f6, take the knight on g5 when you can, and know the best defence when the bishop does land on h7.
- 2The Back RankA king hemmed in by its own pawns can be mated on the back rank, and the threat alone can tie your pieces down. Make an escape square the right way, keep a piece on guard, and learn to see the threat from both sides.
- 3Counterattack in the CentreWhen the opponent castles on the other side and storms your king with pawns, do not just defend: open the centre. A pawn break in the middle brings your pieces to life and turns the attacker's king into a target.
- 4Trading Pieces and Keeping the ShelterAn attack needs attackers. Trade the most dangerous one when you can, and when the attacker trades on your side, take back with a piece, so the pawns in front of your king stay where they are.
- 5Giving Material BackExtra material is only useful if you survive to use it. When the attack is dangerous, give some of it back at the right moment: to free your king, or to open lines with gain of time.
How these lessons were checked
Every position is reached from a real game or opening line, or is a well-known textbook example, so every board is legal and every move can be replayed. Every recommended move is within 0.3 pawns of Stockfish's first choice at depth 22. A move shown as working holds the position: it keeps the defender within half a pawn of level, or better; a move shown as failing is at least one and a half pawns worse. Every exercise has a single solution, at least one and a half pawns better than any other move. Every number in the text comes from the engine.