Recapture

A recapture is a capture made in response to an opponent's capture. It usually removes the piece that just captured, with both captures occurring on the same square. For example, if a bishop takes a knight and a pawn then takes that bishop, the pawn has recaptured.

A recapture is not a special kind of move and is never automatically required. It must follow the same rules as any other capture, including keeping the player's own king safe. Sometimes it is impossible because the defending piece is blocked or cannot move without exposing the king; sometimes it is legal but another urgent move is better.

Calling a piece defended often means that an opponent's capture can be answered by a recapture. Counting attackers and defenders alone is not enough, however. The player must imagine the resulting position, verify legality, and compare what remains after the sequence.