Forced sequence

A forced sequence is a chain of moves in which the opponent has very few viable replies at each important point. Checks, captures, and immediate threats often create such lines because the urgent problem must be answered before other plans can continue.

Every turn does not need to have only one legal move. In analytical language, a sequence may be called forced when several legal choices exist but the alternatives clearly lose or transpose to the same result. The claim must therefore be checked against the best defenses, not just the reply that looks most natural.

The sequence may end in a forced win, a victory the opponent cannot prevent, a forced draw, a draw that can be guaranteed, a gain of pieces or pawns, or a stable position. A forced move is one individual decision; the sequence is the whole chain. Fewer relevant branches can make calculation look easier, but stopping one move too soon or assuming an automatic reply still causes miscalculation.