Discovered attacks and double check
In short
In a discovered attack, one piece moves out of the way and reveals an attack by the piece behind it. The moving piece is free to make its own threat at the same time, so the opponent faces two problems in one move.
By the end you can
- Use a moving piece to unmask an attack
- Recognise double check
The lesson
In a discovered attack, one piece moves out of the way and reveals an attack by the piece behind it. The moving piece is free to make its own threat at the same time, so the opponent faces two problems in one move.
If both the moving piece and the revealed piece give check, it is a double check. The only answer to a double check is a king move — no block or capture can stop two checks — which makes it the most forcing move in chess.
Key points to remember
- Moving piece + hidden attacker = two threats
- Discovered check lets the moving piece go anywhere
- Double check: only the king can move
Examples
Show the solution
1. Nxd6+
Show the solution
37... Bd3+ 38. Ke1 Rf1#
Practise it
Solve puzzles on this idea: discovered attack puzzles, discovered check puzzles, double check puzzles.
Homework
20 discovered-attack puzzles.
More tactics lessons
- Hanging pieces: take them and don’t leave them (Novice)
- Double attacks and forks (Novice)
- Pins: pieces that cannot move (Novice)
- Forks with every piece (Class F)
- Using and breaking pins (Class F)
- Skewers and x-rays (Class F)