Candidate-move method

The candidate-move method prevents a player from committing immediately to the first attractive idea. A candidate move is an option that deserves serious attention because it addresses the position's demands. The method builds a short list, calculates the opponent's strongest replies, and makes the decision only after comparing the results.

A practical sequence

1. First identify what changed with the last move and whether the opponent has an immediate threat, meaning something concrete they intend to achieve on the next turn.
2. Generate options. Check checks, captures, and direct threats, often called forcing moves because they restrict the replies, but also include necessary defenses and quiet moves that improve a piece or advance a plan.
3. For each candidate, seek the opponent's best reply rather than the reply you hope to see. Follow the branch, the continuation growing from that option, until the resulting position is clear enough to judge.
4. Compare the outcomes with the comparison method or reject options that a concrete reply proves unsound through the elimination method. Before moving, make one final check for the opponent's immediate resources based on checks, captures, or direct threats.

There is no universal number of candidates. A forced position may offer only one serious move, while a complex position may offer several. Available time also matters. The list is not final either: a later continuation can reveal a new idea and justify returning to the starting position.

The method organizes attention, but it does not replace chess knowledge or guarantee the best move. Its quality depends on finding relevant options, calculating accurately, and making an evaluation, a judgment about who stands better and why, in the resulting positions.