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Worksheet: Checks, Captures, and Threats

Topic: middlegame | Level: 2 | Week 4

Before every move, scan the board for checks, captures, and threats ("CCT") - the three most forcing kinds of moves.

Why This Matters

  • "CCT" is a simple scan you can do before every move: are there any checks, captures, or threats available?
  • Checks and captures are easy to spot. Threats are trickier - they attack something without taking it yet.
  • Strong players use this scan on every move, for both sides, before deciding what to play.

Objectives

  • Explain what a check, a capture, and a threat are.
  • Scan a position for all three before choosing a move.
  • Tell the difference between a real threat and a move that does nothing.

Practice Tasks

  1. Write the definitions of check, capture, and threat in your own words.
  2. In the mini-game position, name one square a threatening move could target.
  3. Solve the three CCT practice positions and label each one check, capture, or threat.

Board Walkthrough

Follow the lesson one board at a time. The teacher answer key includes the move list.

Board 1
Board 2
Board 3
Board 4
Board 5
Board 6
Board 7
Board 8
Board 9

Practice Positions

Solve each position on paper first. Answers live only in the separate teacher/parent key.

Practice 1

Find the move that gives check.

Practice 2

Find the safe capture.

Practice 3

This move does not check or capture anything, but it still forces a response. Find the threatening move.

Mini-Game

Play this position with a partner. On each turn, say out loud whether your move is a check, a capture, a threat, or none of those.

Answer Key

Checks, Captures, and Threats

Teacher/parent key for Worksheet: Checks, Captures, and Threats.

Worksheet Answers

  1. Prompt: Write the definitions of check, capture, and threat in your own words.

    Check: attacks the king. Capture: takes an enemy piece. Threat: attacks a piece or square without capturing yet.

  2. Prompt: In the mini-game position, name one square a threatening move could target.

    Answers will vary - accept any reasonable undefended target.

  3. Prompt: Solve the three CCT practice positions and label each one check, capture, or threat.

    Position 1: check (Re4+). Position 2: capture (Qxa5). Position 3: threat (Ra1).

Model Line

  1. e4
  2. c5
  3. Nf3
  4. Nc6
  5. d4
  6. cxd4
  7. Nxd4
  8. Nf6

Practice Position Solutions

Checks, Captures, and Threats — Practice 1

Find the move that gives check.

Solution: Re4+

Moving the rook onto the e-file lines it up with the black king with nothing in between - that is a check.

Checks, Captures, and Threats — Practice 2

Find the safe capture.

Solution: Qxa5

The knight on a5 has no defender, so the queen can capture it for free - a clean capture.

Checks, Captures, and Threats — Practice 3

This move does not check or capture anything, but it still forces a response. Find the threatening move.

Solution: Ra1

Moving the rook to the open a-file attacks the undefended black queen. Black must move the queen or lose it next turn - that is a threat.