Defended in chess: definition, usage, and tips
Defended
Definition
In chess, a piece, pawn, or square is called “defended” (also “protected”) if it is covered by one or more friendly pieces or pawns. A defended piece can be recaptured if taken, and a defended square can be occupied without immediately losing material because a friendly unit supports it. The opposite is undefended (or “loose”), a status famously summarized by John Nunn’s LPDO: “Loose Pieces Drop Off.”
How the term is used
Players constantly count and compare attackers and defenders before making captures or committing to tactical operations. Typical phrases include “well-defended,” “under-defended” (fewer defenders than needed), and “overdefended” or “overprotected.” Practical rules include:
- Counting rule: If the total value and number of your defenders at a point are inferior to the enemy attackers, you risk losing material on that square.
- Quality of defenders matters: Pawn defenders are often best because they are cheap and recapture toward the center; pinned or overloaded defenders may be unreliable.
- Squares can be defended, not only pieces: If an outpost square is defended by a pawn and cannot be attacked by an enemy pawn, it’s particularly strong.
Strategic significance
- Overprotection (Nimzowitsch): Aron Nimzowitsch advocated “overdefending” key points (like a central outpost) in order to stabilize your position and free pieces for other tasks. See the ideas showcased in Nimzowitsch vs. Sämisch, Copenhagen 1923 (the “Immortal Zugzwang Game”). Overprotection
- Outposts: A knight on a defended outpost (a square immune to enemy pawn attacks) can dominate. It’s not just the outpost itself but the reliability of the defense underneath it.
- Endgames: A protected passer (also called a defended passed pawn) is a game-winning asset because the pawn can advance while its neighbor guards it. Protected passed pawn
- King safety: A king shielded by defended pawns and squares (e.g., around g2, f2, h2 for White) is far safer against sacrifices and mating nets.
- Tactics around defenders: Many motifs revolve around defenders—removing the defender, deflection, and overloading. If you can eliminate or drag away a defender, targets behind it may collapse. Removing the defender Overloaded piece
Examples
1) A “defended mate” (supported checkmate)
In the Scholar’s Mate pattern, the mating queen is defended by a bishop. The mate works because the queen on f7 is protected, so Black cannot recapture:
Moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6?? 4. Qxf7# — the queen on f7 is defended by the bishop on c4.
Visualizer:
2) Protected passer (defended passed pawn)
Here White’s c5-pawn is a passed pawn and is defended by the b4-pawn. This “defended passer” can often advance decisively because exchanges on its path are unfavorable for the side lacking sufficient blockaders.
Position (White to move):
3) Counting attackers and defenders
Suppose White considers capturing a pawn on e5 with Nxe5 in a typical open game position. Before playing it, White must count: how many attackers (White pieces) are targeting e5, and how many defenders (Black pieces) are covering it? If the defenders outnumber the attackers—especially with solid pawn defenders—Nxe5 may simply lose a piece. The same arithmetic applies to key central squares (e4/e5/d4/d5) in many openings.
4) Tactics: removing or deflecting a defender
Imagine Black’s queen on d5 is defended only by a knight on f6. If White can play Bxf6 and force …exf6, the queen on d5 becomes undefended—allowing Qxd5 next. This is the classic “removing the defender” motif. Always check whether another piece can recapture and become a fresh defender, or whether a defender is pinned and cannot legally recapture.
Historical and engine perspective
- Nimzowitsch’s “My System” made overprotection a central strategic theme—overdefend your strong point to gain flexibility elsewhere.
- John Nunn popularized the practical warning LPDO (“Loose Pieces Drop Off”), a reminder that undefended or under-defended pieces often fall to simple tactics; the flip side is that keeping pieces defended reduces tactical vulnerability.
- Modern engines evaluate the reliability of defenders precisely—pinned, overloaded, or tactically vulnerable “defenders” may be discounted in the evaluation because they cannot effectively recapture.
Practical tips
- Before capturing: count attackers and defenders, and consider the order of exchanges.
- Prefer pawn defenders for key points; they’re resilient and cost-effective.
- Don’t trust pinned or overloaded defenders; treat them as if they might not exist.
- Overdefend critical outposts or pawns you plan to advance (e.g., a passed pawn).
- In attack, look to remove, deflect, or overload the key defender of your opponent’s weak point.
- In defense, add a defender or trade off attackers to restore balance on a contested square.
Related terms
Quick anecdote
In many attacking classics, the breakthrough comes only after the attacker removes or deflects a single key defender. Study how elite players identify and target that linchpin—often a seemingly humble pawn or a knight guarding vital dark or light squares around the king. Understanding “defended” at this granular level frequently separates a promising attack from a premature sacrifice.