Advanced tactic · 3 of 15
The trapped piece
A piece with no safe square to move to is attacked, and it cannot be saved.
- Learn how it worksThree examples with Capra. You play each one yourself.Three examples with CapraStart the lesson
- Practise on real puzzlesPractise on puzzles80 trapped piece puzzles, from easy to very hard.0 of 80 solvedGo to the puzzlesGo to the puzzles
Any piece can be trapped
A piece is trapped when every square it can move to is guarded or blocked.
Trapped bishop
The pawn attacks the bishop and blocks the diagonal the bishop needed.
Trapped knight
The knight on the edge is attacked, and all four of its squares are guarded or blocked.
Trapped queen
A pawn attacks the queen, and every square she can reach is guarded.
Trapped pieces in numbers
Counted from the 601 trapped pieces in our puzzle library, all taken from real games- 1 in 500
of our puzzles has a trapped piece in it.
- 58%
of them win the queen. No other prize is as common.
- 56%
of them come in the middlegame.
Which piece makes the first move
- Rook25%
- Bishop20%
- Pawn18%
- King15%
- Knight12%
What it wins
- Queen58%
- Rook25%
- Bishop11%
- Knight6%
- Checkmate0%
Good to know
Trapped pieces: common questions
What is a trapped piece in chess?
A trapped piece is a piece with no safe square to move to. It has not been captured yet, but once it is attacked it cannot run, so it is lost or given up for less than it is worth.
How do I trap a piece?
Count the squares the piece can move to. Take them away with your pawns and pieces until none is safe, then attack the piece. A pawn is the best attacker, because a pawn costs the least.
Where do pieces get trapped?
On the edge of the board and deep in enemy territory. A knight on the edge has four squares at most, a bishop can be shut in by pawns, and a queen that grabs a far-off pawn may not get back.
How do I stop my own pieces from being trapped?
Before you move a piece forward, check that it has a way back. Take care with knights on the edge, bishops in front of enemy pawns, and a queen that goes after a pawn far from home.