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TacticsPlay as white

Discovered Attack

Move one piece out of the way and let the one behind it do the damage.

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Introduction

A discovered attack is two threats for the price of one move: the piece that steps aside makes its own threat, and the piece standing behind it suddenly attacks along the opened line. When the unmasked attack is a check, your opponent has no time to answer the other one.

Lesson Content

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Look down the g-file: the white rook on g1, White's own knight on g5 in the way, and the black rook on g8 at the far end. The knight is a curtain. Whatever it does, the rook behind it starts attacking the rook on g8 — which nothing defends, so it is a free rook.

Discovered Attack
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1. ..Nf3+

The knight steps aside and attacks the king on h4 as it goes, while the rook on g1 is unmasked against the rook on g8. Black has to deal with the check, so the rook on g8 is lost.

Discovered Attack
Alternative Moves
Nxe6 — Grabbing the pawn opens the same line, but it hands Black the first blow: 1...Rxg1+ and White is the one losing material.
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2. e4+

Even a pawn can be the curtain. The pawn steps to e4 and attacks the king on d5, and behind it the rook on c3 now looks straight along the third rank at the rook on h3. The check has to be answered first, so the rook on h3 is White's next move — a whole rook for a pawn push.

Discovered Attack
Alternative Moves
Rd3+ — A check with the wrong piece. The king steps to c5 and the black rook on h3 is safe — the discovery is gone forever.
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The same shape on the eighth rank: the white rook on f8, White's own bishop on b8 in front of it, and the black rook on a8 at the end of the line. And the black king on a5 sits on the bishop's diagonal: check with the bishop and the rook on a8 is lost, because Black can only answer one of the two threats.

Discovered Attack
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3. Bc7+

The bishop leaves the eighth rank and checks the king on a5 from c7. The rook on f8 is unmasked against a8, and after the king moves White takes the rook.

Discovered Attack
Alternative Moves
g4 — A pawn push wastes the moment. Black brings the king to b5 and pushes the c-pawn, and it is Black who is winning.
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The white rook on h4 is aiming along the fourth rank at the black rook on f4, with White's own knight on g4 in between. Which knight move wins the rook?

Discovered Attack
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What makes a discovered attack so strong?

Discovered Attack

Key Takeaways

  • A discovered attack opens a line while the moving piece makes its own threat.
  • The best version is a discovered check: the opponent must answer the check and loses the other piece.
  • Any piece can be the curtain, pawns included.

Now play it through

Step through every move on a real board, try the wrong ones, and ask Knighty why they fail.

Practice Interactively

Related Lessons

The Skewer

Double Check and Smothered Mate

Hanging Pieces

Summary

Look for your own pieces standing in front of a rook, bishop or queen with an enemy piece at the far end of that line. Then ask where the front piece can go so that it threatens something too — that move is the discovered attack.

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Practice Interactively

Next in this course

Back-Rank Mate

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