Chess tactics
Discovered attack
A discovered attack moves one piece out of the way so the piece behind it delivers the real threat.
What it is
One piece steps aside and unmasks an attack from a long-range piece behind it. What makes it so strong is that the moving piece can create a second threat on its way, so the opponent faces two problems and one move. When the unmasked attack is a check, it is a discovered check, and the moving piece can go somewhere otherwise suicidal — the opponent has to deal with the check first.
How to spot one
- Your own piece standing between your rook, bishop or queen and an enemy target.
- That blocking piece having a move that also attacks something.
- A discovered check where the moving piece grabs a defended piece — it cannot be recaptured while the king is in check.
- Enemy king and queen on the same line as one of your long-range pieces, with one of your own pieces in the way.
A worked example
The bishop on c1 eyes the long diagonal through the knight on f3. Any knight move unmasks the bishop, so pick the knight move that creates a second threat and the opponent cannot answer both.
Discovered attack puzzles from the daily archive
No daily puzzle has carried this theme yet. They appear here as they do — a new puzzle publishes every day. See the latest one.