Queen’s Advice Corner | What is my Opponent’s Threat?

WCM Zara Majid shares a lesson from a recent tournament where she lost a pawn to a simple pin because she forgot to ask herself one crucial question: “What is my opponent’s threat?” Inspired by Anatoly Karpov’s habit of asking this before every move, Zara explains how this practice can help players avoid blunders. She breaks it down into practical steps — scanning for new threats each turn, asking why the opponent made their move, and checking for checks, captures, and threats. She ends by challenging listeners to use this habit in their own games to play stronger and avoid preventable mistakes.