SevenPieces
Daily Chess Puzzle: Spot Every Hanging Piece
Many chess games are decided by a piece left hanging. Hanging trains the habit that stops it: it’s your opponent’s move, and you find every piece of yours they could win.
Play today’s HangingHow to play Hanging
- You see a position from a real game, from your side of the board. It’s your opponent’s turn.
- Tap every piece of yours they could win on their move, then tap Done. There may be more than one.
- A piece hangs if nothing defends it, if a cheaper piece attacks it, or if more pieces attack it than defend it.
- After each answer you’re shown why: the attackers and defenders of every piece that mattered.
- There are three positions, from easy to hard. Most right wins; ties go to the faster time.
Tips
- Scan the opponent’s pieces, not just your own: for each one, ask what it attacks right now.
- Count attackers and defenders, but always check the cheapest attacker first. A knight on your queen wins it however well the queen is defended.
- Don’t forget pawns. They attack diagonally forwards, and a pawn attacking a piece is the cheapest attacker there is.
- A defender that is pinned to its king isn’t really defending. These tricks appear in the hardest round.
Questions
Is it free? Do I need an account?
Yes, it’s free, and you can play today’s puzzles as a guest straight away. Signing in (also free) saves your scores, puts you on the leaderboards and unlocks unlimited practice.
Is it the same puzzle for everyone, and when is there a new one?
Everyone gets the same positions each day, so you can compare scores with friends. New puzzles arrive at midnight your time.
Where do the positions come from?
From real games, taken from the free Lichess puzzle database. Each day’s rounds are chosen so they ramp up: first a lone piece attacked once, then cheaper attackers and outnumbered defenders, then pins and x-rays.
How is it scored?
One point for each position you get exactly right. Players with the same score are ranked by time, so a quick eye helps.
Is there practice?
Yes. Signed-in players can play as many extra games of Hanging as they like, with the same explanations after each answer.
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