Pieces & Activity

What is a en prise in chess?

  • Pieces
  • Activity
  • Coordination

En prise is a piece-play concept: en prise describes a piece or pawn exposed to a material-winning capture by the opponent. This is either a hanging piece, an undefended pawn, a piece attacked by a less valuable attacker, or a piece or pawn defended insufficiently. For instance, 1.e4 Nf6 2.Nf3? leaves White's e-pawn en prise. Ask whether the piece is active, coordinated, and serving a real plan.

What to look for on the board

  • Your least active piece.
  • Open lines and strong squares.
  • Whether pieces coordinate on the same target.

Related terms

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