Discovered attack in chess
Move one piece and a completely different piece delivers the threat. Two attacks for the price of one move.
A discovered attack happens when a piece moves out of the way of a friendly bishop, rook or queen, revealing that piece's attack on an enemy target.
Why it is so strong
The moving piece is free to create a second threat of its own. So a discovered attack routinely produces two threats at once, from two different pieces - and unlike a fork, the two threats can be aimed at completely different parts of the board.
The extreme version is the discovered check: because the check must be answered, the moving piece can capture anything, land anywhere, or even hang itself with impunity. A discovered check that also wins the queen is unanswerable.
The moving piece can be en prise and it does not matter. That is the single mental hurdle that makes discovered attacks hard to spot: your candidate move looks like it blunders a piece.
Recognising the setup
Look for a "battery in waiting":
- One of your bishops, rooks or queens pointing at a valuable enemy piece or the king.
- One of your own pieces sitting in between.
- Then ask what the blocking piece could do if it left - capture something, give check, attack the queen, threaten mate.
The double check
When the moving piece gives check as well, both pieces check the king at once. There is no capture and no block that can answer two checks, so the king must move - always. Double check is behind many of the most famous combinations in chess, including Reti's and Lasker's classics.
Practise the discovered attack
Reading about a pattern is not the same as seeing it under time pressure. The puzzle trainer serves rated positions taken from real games, adjusting to your level as you solve - and any puzzle you get wrong opens on the full analysis board in one click, so you can find out exactly what you missed.
Related tactics
Double check
Two checks at the same time. The king has to move - there is no other legal answer.
Fork
One piece, two targets. The fork is the most common winning tactic in chess and the first one worth mastering.
Skewer
A pin turned around: the valuable piece is in front, it must move, and the piece behind it falls.
Frequently asked questions
What is a discovered attack?
A move that steps a piece out of the line of a friendly bishop, rook or queen, revealing that piece's attack. Because the moving piece also gets a free move, the result is usually two threats at once.
What is the difference between a discovered attack and a discovered check?
A discovered check is a discovered attack where the revealed attack is on the king. It is far more forcing, because the opponent has no time to answer the second threat.
Why is a double check so strong?
Two pieces give check simultaneously, so blocking or capturing can only ever stop one of them. The king is forced to move, which makes double check the most forcing move in chess.