The safety check before every move
In short
Before you let go of a piece, ask three questions. First: after this move, can my opponent capture anything of mine for free?
By the end you can
- Apply a 3-question safety check
- Reduce one-move blunders
The lesson
Before you let go of a piece, ask three questions. First: after this move, can my opponent capture anything of mine for free? Second: can my opponent give a dangerous check? Third: did I leave something else unprotected by moving this piece away?
This takes only a few seconds, but it removes most beginner blunders. Strong players do it automatically; you build the habit by saying the questions to yourself in every game until it becomes natural.
If the answer to any question is worrying, pick a different move. A safe ordinary move is better than a brilliant-looking move that hangs a piece.
Key points to remember
- Can they capture something free?
- Can they give a dangerous check?
- What did my moving piece stop defending?
- Safe moves beat flashy moves
Examples
Show the solution
74... Kxh2 75. g8=R Bxg8
Practise it
Solve puzzles on this idea: hanging piece puzzles, fork puzzles.
Homework
Write “SAFE?” on a card and look at it before every move in three games.
More thinking process lessons
- What did my opponent just do? (Foundation)
- Checks, captures, threats (CCT) (Class F)
- Candidate moves (Class E)
- A full thinking routine (Class D)
- Prophylaxis: what does my opponent want? (Class C)
- Recognising critical moments at the board (Class A)