Tactics

The short, forcing patterns that win material or the game outright.

• The PinA piece that cannot move without exposing something worth more. 12 puzzles
• The SkewerAttack the big piece, and take the one behind it. 12 puzzles
• The ForkOne piece attacks two at once. 12 puzzles
• Discovered AttackMove one piece, and the piece behind it attacks. 12 puzzles
• Double CheckTwo pieces check at once, so the king must move. 12 puzzles
• Removing the DefenderTake the guard first, then the piece it guarded. 12 puzzles
• X-Ray AttackA long-range piece working through another piece. 12 puzzles
• DeflectionForce a defender away from its job. 12 puzzles
• DecoyLure a piece onto the square where it can be hit. 12 puzzles
• InterferencePut a piece between a defender and what it defends. 12 puzzles
• Zwischenzug (In-Between Move)A forcing move slipped in before the expected one. 12 puzzles
• ClearanceMove your own piece out of the way of another. 12 puzzles
• OverloadingOne defender with two jobs can do only one. 12 puzzles
• Trapped PieceA piece with no safe square is lost. 12 puzzles
• King HuntChecks that drive a king out of its shelter to mate. 12 puzzles
• Perpetual CheckEndless checks that end the game in a draw.
• Stalemate TricksThe losing side aims for no legal move, and a draw.
• UnderpromotionPromoting to a knight, rook or bishop instead of a queen. 8 puzzles
• BlockingPut a piece in the way of a check or an attack.
• DesperadoA piece that is lost anyway takes something first. 12 puzzles
• Back Rank MateA rook or queen mates a king trapped behind its pawns. 12 puzzles
• Smothered MateA knight mates a king hemmed in by its own pieces. 12 puzzles
• Boden's MateTwo bishops on crossing diagonals mate the king. 12 puzzles
• Opera MateA rook mates on the back rank, guarded by a distant bishop. 12 puzzles
• Arabian MateA rook and a knight mate a king in the corner. 12 puzzles
• Anastasia's MateA knight and a rook trap the king on the edge. 12 puzzles
• Hook MateRook, knight and pawn guard each other in a mating net. 12 puzzles
• Swallow's Tail MateA defended queen mates from directly in front of the king. 12 puzzles
• Greco's MateA bishop covers g8; a rook or queen mates on the h-file. 12 puzzles
• Morphy's MateA bishop mates on the long diagonal; a rook covers the g-file. 12 puzzles
• Knight ForkA knight jumps to a square where it attacks two pieces. 12 puzzles
• Pawn ForkOne pawn attacks two pieces at once. 10 puzzles
• Queen ForkThe queen attacks two pieces at once, often with check. 12 puzzles
• Royal ForkA fork of the king and the queen. 12 puzzles
• Double AttackOne move makes two threats. 12 puzzles
• Discovered CheckA piece moves away and uncovers check from another. 12 puzzles
• Hanging PieceA piece that is attacked and not defended. 12 puzzles
• SacrificeGiving up material on purpose to get something better. 12 puzzles
• PromotionA pawn on the last rank becomes a new piece. 12 puzzles