Strategy · Calculate

Look at three before choosing

Chess players call these candidate moves. Off the board, naming options before choosing becomes a habit only if you practise it there, as this week’s task asks.

On the board, strong players do not play the first good-looking move. They name a few candidates, then compare them. Here White might attack f7 with Ng5, open the centre with d4, or play the quiet d3. Each leads to a different game.