What this worksheet practises
Most games between young beginners are decided by pieces left hanging, not by clever combinations. A child who checks "can I take something for free?" before every move starts winning more games almost immediately.
In every position on this sheet there is exactly one black piece worth 3 points or more that White can capture without losing the capturing piece. We checked this with a chess program, so there are no trick positions with two right answers.
Try two puzzles now
It is White's move. One black piece is not protected. Find it and capture it. These are the first two puzzles from the sheet.
Show answer
Bxg3 wins the rook
Show answer
Rxf8+ wins the knight
Tips for parents and teachers
- Before looking for the answer, ask your child to point at every black piece and say who protects it.
- If they pick a protected piece, play the capture out on a real board and let them see the piece get taken back.
- Kids who finish early can circle every white piece that is not protected. It is the same skill in reverse.
Want more than 12 puzzles?
Karotto's chess course walks children from how the pieces move to checkmate patterns and tactics, one short lesson at a time. A friendly voice reads every step aloud, and when your child is stuck, the app shows why a move works instead of just giving the answer.
Questions
Is this chess worksheet really free?
Yes. You can print it as many times as you like for your own children, your class or your chess club. We only ask that you share the link to this page rather than uploading the PDF somewhere else.
What age is the Capture the Free Piece worksheet for?
It suits children of about 5–8 who already know how all the pieces move. Age matters less than experience: if your child solves fewer than 7 of the 12 puzzles, try the previous sheet in the series first.
Does my child need to know chess notation?
No. Children can draw an arrow on the board to show their move. The answer key uses standard notation (for example Qh7#) and also shows each first move as a green arrow.
Where do the puzzles come from?
Every position comes from a real game in the Lichess.org puzzle database, which is released into the public domain (CC0). We picked easy, popular puzzles and checked each one with a chess program so that it has only one correct answer.
Puzzle positions: Lichess.org puzzle database, CC0. Worksheet design © Karotto, free for personal and classroom use.