What is a hanging piece in chess?

A hanging piece is a piece that can be captured without anything coming back for it. Either nothing defends it, or it is attacked by something cheaper than itself, so taking it wins material even if it is defended. At beginner level, a lot of games are decided by nothing more than a piece left hanging.

When is a piece hanging?

A piece hangs in two situations:

• It is attacked and nothing defends it
• It is attacked by a cheaper piece, so even a defended queen hangs to a pawn

The second one catches people out, because defenders don’t help. If a pawn takes your knight and you take back, you have still given a knight for a pawn.

Why do players leave pieces hanging?

Almost never because they don’t know the rule. The usual reasons:

• The piece was defended, and the defender moved away
• The opponent’s last move added a new attacker and you didn’t check it
• You were following your own plan and didn’t look at what the move left behind
• Low time on the clock

The first is the hardest to see, because the move that loses the piece is a move of a different piece, like the rook leaving d1 in the position at the top of this page.

How do you stop hanging pieces?

Before every move, ask two questions. What did my opponent’s last move attack? And what does my move stop defending? If you only have time for one, make it the second, since a lot of hanging pieces are left behind by a move somewhere else on the board.

In fast games, at least glance at your undefended pieces before you move.

What is a free piece?

A free piece is a hanging piece seen from your side of the board: one your opponent left for you to take. Players miss them more often than you’d think, usually because they aren’t expecting one, or are busy with their own plan.

Should you always take a free piece?

Nearly always, but check first. If it looks too easy, look at what your opponent gets after you take: a check, a fork, a mate on the back rank. A piece offered on purpose is a sacrifice, and some sacrifices are brilliant moves. In club games, though, a free piece is usually just a mistake.

How many pieces do you leave hanging?

Chesslord’s insights count the pieces you left hanging, by piece, across your chess.com and Lichess games, and the free pieces your opponents gave you, with how many you took. Each panel lists the latest positions, and any of them opens in the game review.

If the same piece keeps showing up, that tells you where to look before you move. If you take fewer free pieces than you are given, add one more question before every move: what did my opponent just leave undefended?