Pieces & Activity

What is a kick in chess?

  • Pieces
  • Activity
  • Coordination

Kick is a piece-play concept: attacking a piece, often a knight, with a pawn, so that it will move. Kicking a piece may lead to gaining a tempo, or may force the opponent to concede control of key squares. 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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