Critical Move chess puzzles
Critical Move chess puzzles: hold the balance.
A Critical Move position can look even, and the opponent may have played well. Yet one decision now matters much more than the others. Find the move that keeps the position together.
Try a positionTry it on the board
Black to move. How do you hold the position?
These are fixed examples from real games. You will see the idea after you make a move or reveal the answer.
Example 01
A move that holds the balance
Black to move. Read the position and choose a move on the board.
Drag a piece or select its starting and ending squares.
The skill behind the move
Why this is a different kind of puzzle
A tactical puzzle usually asks you to win something. A Critical Move may ask you to defend, create counterplay, or simplify at exactly the right moment. The reward is preserving what you already have.
This page names the skill so you can study it. In the main Make Good Moves trainer, Critical Moves arrive without warning among tactical and positional decisions.
The full training experience
You will not be told what comes next.
In the main trainer, tactical, positional, and Critical Move positions are mixed together. Read each board, decide what it needs, and play the idea through. Five positions per session; no account required to start.
Start mixed trainingTactical puzzles are sourced from the Lichess open puzzle database. Positional and Critical Move puzzles are custom-generated by Make Good Moves from public Lichess games. Make Good Moves is independent and is not affiliated with Lichess.