What if the capturing piece is of equal or lower value than the captured piece? You can still win material if the captured piece is unprotected.

Sometimes when you capture a piece, the opponent can immediately recapture, as in this example:

Black can capture the knight on f3 with the rook on f8. However, if Black captures with 1...Rxf3?, White can recapture with 2.gxf3. Black has then lost a rook for a knight. Because a rook is worth five pawns and a knight only three pawns, Black would lose material worth two pawns (and probably lose the game).

In this position, you would say that the pawn on g2 protects the knight on f3, because the pawn can recapture any piece that captures the knight. A piece is unprotected if it is not protected by any other piece. When you capture one of your opponent’s unprotected pieces, your opponent can’t recapture your piece. Capturing an unprotected piece always gains material, independent of the values of the pieces involved.

Compared to the previous position in diagram 1, White has moved the pawn from g2 to g4, so it is no longer protecting the knight on f3. The knight is now unprotected, and Black can now safely take the knight with 1...Rxf3. White can’t recapture. Therefore, Black has gained material worth three pawns and has a winning material advantage.

Examples

White can capture the unprotected queen on c6 with the queen on f3: 1.Qxc6 Because Black cannot recapture, White has gained material worth nine pawns, and has a big material advantage.

Note that capturing the bishop on e7 with the rook on e1 is not a good move, because the bishop is protected by the rook on d7. Black could first exchange the unprotected queen and then recapture on e7:
1.Rxe7? Qxf3 2.gxf3 Rxe7

How to Spot an Opportunity to Capture an Unprotected Piece

First, spot all your possible captures. For each of them, check if your opponent can recapture. Remember: If the opponent can’t recapture, the piece is unprotected. With some practice, you will be able to spot unprotected pieces more and more quickly. Unprotected pieces are very important in tactics, so practicing spotting them will be very useful.

About Winning Material

In some cases, winning material doesn’t win the game. For example, if you capture the queen but allow your opponent to checkmate, you have won a queen but lost the game. The examples in this level are not of that kind, but in later levels you will have to be more careful and consider your opponent’s threats too.

Related motifs