A chess master once said the quickest way to win at chess is simple: always make a move that forces your opponent to react.
Your story works the same way.
Every action your protagonist takes should force the antagonist to respond. Every antagonist move should push your protagonist into a corner where they must make choices. If a scene doesn't create this pressure, if it lets characters coast without consequence, then it's not earning its place.
This isn't about constant conflict or exhausting your reader. It's about momentum. When Character A does something that matters, Character B can't ignore it. When B retaliates, A must adapt. Back and forth, each move raising the stakes.
Think of it as a game of story chess. Your characters aren't just moving through scenes, they're responding to pressure, making choices that create new pressure for someone else.
The moment you write a scene where nobody has to react to what just happened, you've found something to cut.
What move in your current chapter forces someone's hand?