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Tactic · Improver

Discovered Attack in chess

A discovered attack happens when one piece moves out of the way and uncovers an attack by the piece behind it.

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touch_appTry it: Move one piece with a threat, and uncover an attack from the piece behind it.

What is a discovered attack in chess?

A discovered attack happens when one piece moves out of the way and uncovers an attack by the piece behind it. You get two threats from one move: the uncovered piece's attack and whatever the moving piece does.

  • Look for your queen, rook or bishop aimed at an enemy piece with one of your own pieces in between.
  • Move the piece in between to a square where it makes a second threat: a check, a capture or an attack on the queen.

A worked example

Discovered Attack: White to move. Move one piece with a threat, and uncover an attack from the piece behind it.

Solution: 1.Bxh7+ Kf8 2.Rxe7. Bxh7+ is check, and it also opens the e-file so the rook on e1 now attacks the queen on e7. Black has to deal with the check first, and Rxe7 wins the queen. Two threats at once usually win something.

Ask Wingo why it works

Wingo, our coach, never works out chess moves on its own. Stockfish finds the best line, chess.js writes down the facts of the position, and Wingo's explanation is built from that analysis. This is its real answer for "Discovered Attack", unedited (a person checked it before it went on this page).

1 · Position + engine

2 · Fact sheet (chess.js + Stockfish)

Side to move: White.
White: king g1, rook e1, bishop e4, pawn f2, pawn g2, pawn h2.
Black: king g8, queen e7, pawn f7, pawn g7, pawn h7.
Material: White 11, Black 12 (Black up 1).
Loose/under-defended pieces: none.
Defenders and attackers (verified):
Black queen e7: defended by nothing; attacked by nothing.
White bishop e4: defended by rook e1; attacked by queen e7.
White rook e1: defended by nothing; attacked by nothing.
Line-ups (verified geometry): Black queen e7 and White bishop e4 are on the e-file (nothing between them); Black queen e7 and White rook e1 are on the e-file (with the bishop e4 between them); White rook e1 and White king g1 are on the 1st rank (nothing between them).
White's legal moves (26): bishop e4: Bd5, Bc6, Bb7, Ba8, Bf5, Bg6, Bxh7+, Bf3, Bd3, Bc2, Bb1; pawn f2: f3, f4; pawn g2: g3, g4; pawn h2: h3, h4; rook e1: Re2, Re3, Rf1, Rd1, Rc1, Rb1, Ra1; king g1: Kh1, Kf1.
Engine best line: 1.Bxh7+ Kxh7 2.Rxe7 Kg8 3.f4 Kf8 — winning (+6.4) for White.
Best move theme: check.
After Bxh7+, the opponent has 3 legal replies (the reply is NOT forced; the line shows the best one).

3 · What the coach said

The move Bxh7+ is a check: the bishop from the square e4 goes to h7 and gives the black king an immediate attack. Because the bishop moves away from the e‑file, the rook on e1 suddenly sees straight up the e‑file and attacks the black queen on e7. So the idea is two‑fold: first the bishop’s capture forces the black king to deal with the check, and second the bishop’s departure uncovers (reveals) the rook’s line toward the queen. After the king captures the bishop on h7, White can play Rxe7, taking the queen that is now hanging. The rest of the line (f4, Kf8) just keeps the black king trapped and wins a lot of material. Tip: When you see one of your pieces sitting in front of another piece on the same line (file, rank or diagonal), ask yourself what would happen if the front piece moved – could it give a check or a threat while also opening a line for the piece behind it? That’s the hallmark of a discovered attack.
Engine line: Bxh7+ Kxh7 Rxe7 Kg8 f4 Kf8. In the app you can ask Wingo about any position, and about your own wrong moves.

Solve discovered attack puzzles at your level

extension12 discovered attack puzzles from real games, in three levels. Find the move; a wrong try is explained. No account needed.

Beginner · under 1200

Improver · 1200–1599

Intermediate · 1600+

Puzzles from the Lichess puzzle database (CC0), each checked by Stockfish.

Do you miss discovered attacks in your own games?

Our mistake finder checks your recent games with Stockfish and lists the 3 mistakes you repeat most. Missed discovered attacks are counted under "Missing forks and double attacks". Every mistake it finds becomes a puzzle from your own game, so you practise exactly the positions you got wrong.

Check my Chess.com gamesarrow_forwardEnter your username. Free, about a minute.Check my Lichess gamesarrow_forwardEnter your username. Free, about a minute.Check my Wings Chess gamesarrow_forwardUses the games you play here, after 5 games.

Use it in a real game

Puzzles tell you a discovered attack is there. In a game nobody does. Play Blaze, one of our bots that think at a human pace and make human mistakes, and look for the pattern yourself. The coach can point it out afterwards if you miss it.

Play Blaze (1300)arrow_forwardAll-out attacker. Sacrifices first, asks questions later.About Blazearrow_forwardHow this bot plays, and tips to beat it.

Train this in the app

Lesson: Discovered Attackarrow_forwardMove one piece with a threat, and uncover an attack from the piece behind it. With hints, stars and your progress saved.Endless discovered attack puzzlesarrow_forwardRated puzzles on this theme at your level, plus puzzles made from your own mistakes.

Keep going

Discovered Checkarrow_forwardA discovered check is a discovered attack where the uncovered piece gives check.Double Checkarrow_forwardA double check is when two pieces give check at the same moment, usually through a discovered check.Pinarrow_forwardA pin is when a piece can't move because a more valuable piece stands behind it on the same line.Opening: French Defensearrow_forwardAs Black, build a solid e6–d5 chain and attack White's center.