Hardly anyone knows it by name, yet everyone has encountered it on the board – garbage collection tactics.

Explanation

At times, both players can capture something to win material. These situations can be very confusing because they typically involve multiple options, each requiring precise calculation. Such scenarios arise quite regularly, often following a counterattack. Here is an example:

Black can play a double attack with the pawn-fork 1...d4. White can try to defend with a counterattack against the queen 2.Bf4. This results in a gargabe collection situation, where Black can capture the knight, and White can capture the queen. In this case Black can win by capturing the knight, because on c3 the pawn is also attacking White's queen: 2...dxc3 3.Bxc7 4.cxd2. (Like in this example, the best reaction to a counterattack is often another counterattack.)

This type of position is frequently overlooked in tactics books, and there isn’t a universal term for it. Some players might say, "Everything is hanging." Personally, I like the term "garbage collection," as it conveys the idea of cleaning up or "mopping up the trash" left on the board.

Here are some common ways to solve a garbage collection:

In the first diagram, the white rook attacks the black queen, and the black rook attacks the white knight. White’s prize is more valuable, and the best move is to capture the queen, winning a queen for a knight: 1.Rxa7 Rxd5.

In the second diagram, the roles are reversed: Capturing would lose the queen for a knight. White should defend by, for example, running away with the queen: 1.Qa4.

In the third diagram, each rook can capture a knight, but White moves first. By capturing the black knight, the white rook also protects the white knight— therefore, White can win a knight just by capturing and protecting: 1.Rxa4 Rxd4? 2.Rxd4.

In the fourth diagram, White can capture the black knight and attack another knight. If Black proceeds to capture the white knight, the White rook can munch through (meaning make an immediate additional capture with the same piece) and take the second black knight: 1.Rxa6 Rxd5 2.Rxa8.

Instead of an attack on another piece, the capture can also come with another threat—for example, a check. The fifth diagram is like the second, but instead of running away with the queen, White can capture the knight with check. Black then must deal with the check. White has won the knight and still has time to run away with the queen on the next move.

In the sixth diagram, White can run away with the queen and give check with the same move. Black must then deal with the check, and White can win the knight on the next move: 1.Qd4+ Kc7 2.Rxa8. This is called an intermediate check.

In the seventh diagram, instead of giving a check, the queen makes a different threat: 1.Qd5, threatening checkmate with Qxd7#. White can capture the bishop after Black defends against the threat: 1...Rc7 2.Rxa7. This is called an intermediate move.

A special type of intermediate move is shown in the eighth diagram. Both queens are attacked, but White moves first and can capture the rook. After Black recaptures the queen, White can capture the black queen and has won a rook in the process: 1.Qxc6 dxc6 2.Rxa7. Such a capture is sometimes called a desperado (not to be confused with the other type of desperado, a sacrifice for stalemate).

Examples

White just played a counterattack with Rd1-c1?, and now both queens are attacked. However, this was a blunder, because Black's queen is protected and White’s isn't, so Black gains more material from the capture and can win with 1...Rxb5 2.Rxc7 Nxc7, but not with 1...Qxc1? 2.Qxb8.

Everything is hanging: Both white rooks, Black's bishop on e3, and Black's rook on b2. 1.Rxb2? Bxa7 and 1.fxe3? Rxc2 don't work out, but 1.Nxe3 captures the attacker of one rook and protects the other. White has won the bishop; for example, 1...Rxc2 2.Nxc2.

Black just played a discovered attack with e6-e5, and now both queens and the bishop on h3 are hanging. If White plays 1.Bxd7? exd4, White is going to lose a piece, because both of White's bishops are attacked. Therefore, White must defend with 1.Qh4, running away with the queen and protecting the bishop.

About the levels

The first level includes one-move puzzles, most of them belong to the first two situations. The second level includes two-move puzzles, and covers all situations except intermediate moves and checks. Level three and higher levels include all situations. Note that if there are already pieces hanging, other tactics are also quite likely, and can appear in level two and above.

The solution view shows the threats for both sides, and includes some variations that you should avoid.

How to find the best move in a garbage collection situation

• Recognize all attacks for both sides.
• Think of the different possible ways to solve a garbage collection.
• Look out for other tactics.
• Calculate precisely!

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