Chess Related Tactics with Explanation

 

Chess tactics are short-term, concrete moves or sequences that create immediate advantages — such as winning material, delivering checkmate, or forcing positional improvements. Below are key chess tactics with clear explanations and examples based on expert guides and masters' analyses.

Fork

A fork happens when one piece attacks two or more enemy pieces simultaneously. Knights are especially effective at this because of their unique movement.  

Example: A knight on e5 can attack both the king on g6 and the queen on f7, forcing one to move.

Pin

A pin prevents a piece from moving because a more valuable piece behind it would be exposed. There are two types:

Absolute pin: moving the pinned piece would expose the king, making it illegal.  

Relative pin: moving the pinned piece would expose a more valuable piece but is still legal.  

Example: A bishop on b5 pins a knight on c6 to the black king on e8.

Skewer

A skewer is the reverse of a pin — a high-value piece is attacked first, and when it moves, a lower-value piece behind it becomes exposed.  

Example: A rook on e1 attacks the black queen on e7; when the queen moves, the rook captures a bishop behind it.

Decoy

A decoy draws an opponent’s piece onto a vulnerable or strategically inconvenient square.  

Example: Sacrificing a rook on e8 to lure the enemy king into a checkmating net.

Deflection

A deflection moves a defender away from guarding a key square or piece.  

Example: White plays Rxe8+, forcing the black knight to recapture and thus stop defending f6 — opening a path to attack.

Discovered Attack

A discovered attack occurs when a piece moves, uncovering an attack from another piece behind it.  

Example: Moving a knight away reveals a bishop’s attack along a diagonal.

Double Attack

A double attack occurs when one move creates two direct threats, such as check and an attack on a valuable piece. It’s one of the most decisive tactical patterns.  

Example: Queen check on e5 that also threatens the rook on h8.

Desperado

A desperado is when a threatened piece captures something before being taken, ensuring the player gains compensation.  

Example: A threatened rook captures another piece before it’s lost anyway.

Zwischenzug

A zwischenzug or “in-between move” interrupts a routine exchange with an unexpected threat or check, gaining tempo or positional advantage.  

Example: In the middle of a series of trades, inserting a check that forces a better outcome.

Windmill

The windmill is a special combination of discovered attacks and repeated checks. It can cause devastating material loss.  

Example: A bishop repeatedly checks the king, while another piece (often a rook) captures unprotected pieces after each forced king move.

Zugzwang

Zugzwang means "compulsion to move" in German. It occurs when any legal move a player makes worsens their position. This is common in endgames.  

Example: Forcing the opponent’s king into a position where it must abandon a pawn or key square.

Trapping a Piece

When a piece has no safe squares and is about to be captured, it’s called a trap.  

Example: Pushing pawns to restrict an opponent’s bishop, leaving it without escape [2].

X-Ray Attack

An X-ray occurs when a piece “sees through” another, attacking or defending a distant piece along the same line.  

Example: A rook behind another rook defends a piece on the same file indirectly.

Practical Advice

To master tactics:

- Practice puzzles daily.

- Analyze your games for missed tactical chances.

- Learn pattern recognition — repeated exposure builds intuition.

These tactical tools form the foundation of short-term calculation in chess and often decide games at all levels of play.