Checklist for Assessing Puzzle Positions

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dtheese

I am trying to build a "checklist" for assessing a puzzle position I've just been presented with. I am simply trying to capture the essence of the most important things to look for.

DEFINITIONS

  • Forcing moves: Checks, captures, or threats
  • Fork: Describes a position where a piece simultaneously has more than one opposing piece en prise
  • Hanging / En Prise (interchangeable terms): Describes a piece that is under attack and could be captured with net material again after any subsequent captures are complete
  • Loose: Describes a piece that is unprotected but is not under attack

TACTICAL CONCERNS 
Material 
What is the material balance? 
Does either side have the bishop pair?

King Safety 
Am I in check? 
How restricted is my king? 
Is my king exposed? 
Does my opponent have mate-in-1 available? 


How restricted is my opponent's king? 
Is my opponent's king exposed? 
Do I have mate-in-1 available?

Opponent's Goals 
What is the point of my opponent's last move (if last move is known)? 
What could my opponent do to me if it were their turn?

Piece Safety 
Do I have hanging pieces? 
Do I have loose pieces?


Does my opponent have hanging pieces? 
Does my opponent have loose pieces?

Tactical Motifs 
Are any of my pieces absolutely pinned? 
Are any of my pieces relatively pinned? 
Are any of my pieces skewered? 
Are any of my pieces forked?


Could any of my pieces soon become absolutely pinned? 
Could any of my pieces soon become relatively pinned? 
Could any of my pieces soon become skewered? 
Could any of my pieces soon become forked?


Are any of my opponent's pieces absolutely pinned? 
Are any of my opponent's pieces relatively pinned? 
Are any of my opponent's pieces skewered? 
Are any of my opponent's pieces forked?


Could any of my opponent's be absolutely pinned? 
Could any of my opponent's be relatively pinned? 
Could any of my opponent's be skewered? 
Could any of my opponent's be forked?

Passed Pawns 
Do I have passed pawns? 
Does my opponent have passed pawns?

Forcing Moves 
Do I have any forcing moves available? 
Does my opponent have any forcing moves available?

Special Moves 
Is en passant available? (Assumed unavailable in puzzles / problems unless can be proven otherwise) 
Is castling available? (Assumed available in puzzles / problems unless can be proven otherwise) 
If promotion is available, have I considered underpromotion?

STRATEGIC CONCERNS 
I may or may not expand this section in the future since puzzles are most often tactical in nature.

What is my weakest piece?

rous101

Thanks! This helped quite a bit :3

 

rodarmor

Super helpful! I'm a beginner doing puzzles, and I often encounter a situation in a puzzle, like missing a good fork, and even though after I fail the puzzle and I see what I should have done, I forget the next time it comes up. I was thinking I should make a checklist to work through of all the situations I had encountered, but this checklist is way more comprehensive than anything I could have made.