Black to move · Counter-threats in the center
Chasing a bishop can cost a pawn
Black can chase the bishop on g3 with …Nh5. White has an answer in the center.
The pawn on e5 is attacked by White’s knight, bishop and rook. It is also defended by the knight on c6 and bishop on d6. Counting attackers is only the beginning of the calculation.
The bishop attack can wait.
…Nh5 attacks the bishop, but White can play Nxe5. Moving the knight off f3 opens the queen’s diagonal from d1 to h5. If Black automatically recaptures on e5, Qxh5 takes the loose knight.
White has exchanged knights and kept the extra pawn. The capture worked because it opened another attack.
A forcing move before the recapture.
Black can take the bishop instead with …Nxg3. White then has Nxc6, attacking the queen on d8 before taking back on g3.
In this continuation, White trades a bishop and a knight for two knights and the e5-pawn. The useful habit is to check for a forcing move before recapturing.
Change the defense, change the calculation.
One direct response to the pressure is …Re8. Now there is another defender on the e-file, and no knight on h5 for White’s queen to attack. The same Nxe5 pawn grab fails; if White keeps recapturing, Black comes out ahead.
Follow the exchanges: White has given up a minor piece for a pawn. The square e5 has not changed—but the tactical justification for taking it has.
Take this into your next game: An attack gains a tempo only if the opponent has to answer it. Before saving an attacked piece, look for a stronger threat; before taking a pawn, check what the capture opens.