How to Handle Check

When you find that your king is being attacked, what should you do? All too often, beginning players immediately move their king out of check. STOP!!! Before you decide what to do, ALWAYS consider the following options:

• Can you take the piece checking you?
• Can you move out of check?
• Can you block the check?
• Consider ALL of the above options.
• Consider ALL variations of these options.
• Which option and which variation is the BEST?

#	Option	Example	Brief Explanation
1	Capture Checking Piece		Checked by the bishop Queen can capture bishop If queen takes, queen is taken No other piece can capture
2	Move Out of Check		Checked by the bishop King can move to e8, d6, d8, or c7 If moving to e8, the c8 bishop is lost
3	Block the Check		Checked by the bishop Queen can block on f5 or e6 If queen blocks, it gets captured Pawn on f7 can block on f5 Pawn on e7 can block on e6
4	DO NOT DO Scenarios		Qxg4 = BAD, queen is captured by pawn Qf5 = BAD, queen captured by bishop Qe6 = BAD, queen captured by bishop Ke8 = BAD, white bishop takes c8 bishop
5	What is Best?		f5 = Blocks and attacks the g4 bishop Kc7 = Moves, defends c8 bishop Kd6 = Moves, rook defends the c8 bishop e6 = Blocks and forms pawn chain Kd8 = Moves, defends c8 bishop