Take a More Important Piece (Get more points than you lose) what’s the big idea? If you trade pieces, but the one you take is more important than the one you will lose, you will get a material advantage. 22aI Take a More Important Piece ie) 23 Let's say you are attacking a Rook with your Knight, but if you take the Rook, your opponent can take your Knight. Should you take the Rook? Certainly! The Knight is worth three points, and the Rook is worth five. You will come out two points ahead. This is your material advantage. In the diagram below, what piece can Black capture that is more im- portant than the piece he will lose? “What to Doo 4 1. Find a piece that is under attack. us 2. Determine the relative values of the pieces. 3. If the piece under attack is worth more than the attacking piece, you can make the capture and gain a material advantage. Wow 4t It’s not the pawn on a3. The Bishop is worth more than the Pawn. It’s not the Knight on d4, because Knights and Bishops are about the same value (3 points). Take the Queen (9 points)! Even though you lose the Rook (5 points), you get a more important piece than the one you lose. You just gained a material advantage.a4 The Chess Kid’s Book of Tactics Take a More Important Piece BN wR UDA & PN wR UW DY © ab oc de (6 h abedefgh 1. White to Move 2. White to Move a bcd ¢ f& 6 i 3. Black to Move 4. Black to Move answers: 4.1 Nxf6+, 2. 1. Bxf6. 3. 1.... dxed. eeZe Take a More Important Piece |(¥)} 25 Take a More Important Piece PN RUAN Ow abcecdefgh 6. Black to Move ami maPatan a ~t a zg @ ab c def oh 7. White to Move 8. White to Move a ede RN wR UD w answers: 2 ee 6. 7... Bed. 7. 1. Bxa8. 8. 1. Nxd7.26 { The Chess Kid’s Book of Tactics Take a More Important Piece 8 8 7 74 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 j Ze OS 1 j , a boc d 6 f 6 ih oc ee q. Black to Move 10. White to Move 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 i ) i peo} abc dg ¢ ff GG a bec dc f 6 h Ti. White to Move 12. White to Move answers: ee 9 1... dxc3. 10. 1, Bxa. 11. 1. exf6. 12. 1. Bxa5 or fxe4, BxaS is MUCH better—always look for a better move.