Introduction to Tactics

        In chess positions, there are often tactics to help you win material or checkmate.

Here is a very basic example of a tactic.

White is baiting black into capturing the Queen. Of course, some of you may know what happens if black takes it.

If the Queen is captured, black is checkmated, since the black b8 rook is no longer defending the back rank. Black is not forced to capture the Queen though. In this example, try to get rid of that rook and checkmate.

Not all sacrifices lead to checkmate, though. Here is a sacrifice of a bishop.

In this position, try to move your rook to bait the black Queen into a spot where the knight on d5 can attack the king and the queen. 

In this final example, there are not one, but two sacrifices to be made to checkmate the black king.

Now, it is time for you to sacrifice two pieces... and win. Hint: sacrifice your piece to kill their "g" pawn, check them, sacrifice your piece to kill their "f" pawn, and checkmate.