A double attack is a move that makes two threats at once. The opponent can usually meet only one of them, so the other succeeds.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8h
g
f
e
d
c
b
a
Start0/3
Almost every tactic is a double attack of some kind: a fork, a discovered attack, a check that also hits a piece. Learning to look for two threats is how tactics begin.
How to do it
- 1After each move, list what your pieces could attack next move.
- 2Look for a single move that creates two of those threats.
- 3Make one of the threats a check if you can.
For your level
One move can make two threats. Your friend can stop only one.
Common mistakes
- Making one threat at a time, which gives the opponent time to answer each.
- Missing a double attack because one threat is a quiet one, not a capture.
Questions
- What is the difference between a double attack and a fork?
- A fork is a double attack by one piece. A double attack can also come from two pieces, as in a discovered attack, where the moving piece and the piece behind it each make a threat.