Answers.Body: <p>You appear to be referring ("series of hits") to an instructional concept in chess tactics called <strong>Counting</strong>.</p>
  
  <p>NM Dan Heisman's famous <a href="http://home.comcast.net/~danheisman/Articles/Novice_Nook_Links.htm" rel="nofollow">Novice Nook articles</a> includes a multi-part series dedicated to Counting which you can read (preferably in order) at: </p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Counting Primer: <a href="http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman15.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman15.pdf</a></li>
  <li>The Most Important Tactic: <a href="http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman35.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman35.pdf</a></li>
  <li>Is it Safe: <a href="http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman65.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman65.pdf</a></li>
  <li>Two types of Counting Problems: <a href="http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman75.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman75.pdf</a></li>
  <li>The Safety Table: <a href="http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman92.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman92.pdf</a></li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Article #2 (Most Important Tactic) even contains positions similar to what you posted above.</p>
  
  <p><strong>When do you stop counting?</strong> If you were to expand on counting and instead ask "when do you stop calculating forcing lines?" I'd refer you to another one of Dan's articles regarding <a href="http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman55.pdf" rel="nofollow">Quiescence Errors.</a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-10-08T14:33:51.703Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-10-08T14:52:48.423Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2013-10-08T14:52:48.423Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: shivsky
Body: <pre><code>[fen "7k/8/4n3/2b5/3p4/8/2N1N3/3Q3K w - - 0 1"]
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>This picture above depicts a very simplified situation when white pieces threaten and black pieces defend the black pawn. If the next move is to white, it is a series of captures that is coming.</p>
  
  <p>How does one decide if that is good for black or not?
  Is there an algorithm for that?
  How long will this series of exchanges take? Until all black and white pieces are consumed, or is there a point when the exchanges should be stopped? </p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2013-10-08T17:05:25.697Z
Comments.Text: Your diagram has a dark square in the lower right corner :)
Comments.UserDisplayName: Dag Oskar Madsen
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2013-10-08T21:50:54.647Z
Comments.Text: @DagOskarMadsen, fixed. And yeah, it's funny how it literally hurts to see a board with dark/light squares where they shouldn't be.
Comments.UserDisplayName: ETD
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2013-10-09T09:49:03.763Z
Comments.Text: Yes that was glitch thanks for correcting that
Comments.UserDisplayName: bwise
Tags: <analysis><tactics>
Title: Multi-threat situation
ThreadText: # Multi-threat situation
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2013-10-08)
  
  [fen "7k/8/4n3/2b5/3p4/8/2N1N3/3Q3K w - - 0 1"]
  
  This picture above depicts a very simplified situation when white pieces threaten and black pieces defend the black pawn. If the next move is to white, it is a series of captures that is coming.
  How does one decide if that is good for black or not?
  Is there an algorithm for that?
  How long will this series of exchanges take? Until all black and white pieces are consumed, or is there a point when the exchanges should be stopped?
  
  **Tags:** analysis, tactics
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Your diagram has a dark square in the lower right corner :)  
  > **username_2**: @DagOskarMadsen, fixed. And yeah, it's funny how it literally hurts to see a board with dark/light squares where they shouldn't be.  
  > **username_0**: Yes that was glitch thanks for correcting that  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2013-10-08. Score: 4
  
  You appear to be referring ("series of hits") to an instructional concept in chess tactics called **Counting**.
  
  NM Dan Heisman's famous [Novice Nook articles](http://home.comcast.net/~danheisman/Articles/Novice_Nook_Links.htm) includes a multi-part series dedicated to Counting which you can read (preferably in order) at:
  
  * Counting Primer: <http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman15.pdf>
  * The Most Important Tactic: <http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman35.pdf>
  * Is it Safe: <http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman65.pdf>
  * Two types of Counting Problems: <http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman75.pdf>
  * The Safety Table: <http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman92.pdf>
  
  Article #2 (Most Important Tactic) even contains positions similar to what you posted above.
  
  **When do you stop counting?** If you were to expand on counting and instead ask "when do you stop calculating forcing lines?" I'd refer you to another one of Dan's articles regarding [Quiescence Errors.](http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman55.pdf)
  
  
  ---
  
  