Chess tactics for beginners
Tactics are short forcing sequences that win material or end the game, and almost every game below club level is decided by one of five patterns. These lessons cover all five - the fork, the pin, the skewer, the discovered attack and the back-rank mate - and drill each on real positions until you can spot it in your own games.
Free, no account needed. Each lesson takes about ten minutes.
What is a fork in chess?
A fork attacks two pieces at once, so only one can be saved. Learn knight, pawn, queen and bishop forks and practise them free on a real board.
5 exercisesWhat is a pin in chess?
A pin freezes a piece, because moving it exposes something more valuable behind. Learn absolute and relative pins, free on a real board.
3 exercisesWhat is a skewer in chess?
A skewer attacks a valuable piece in front, forcing it to move and exposing the one behind. How skewers differ from pins — free lesson.
2 exercisesWhat is a discovered attack in chess?
A discovered attack unleashes a hidden piece by moving another aside, making two threats at once. Learn discovered and double check, free.
2 exercisesThe back-rank mate: chess’s most common finish
The back-rank mate traps a castled king behind his own pawns. How to deliver it, how to defend it, and what luft means. Free lesson.
4 exercisesMore free lessons
Then comes the part that actually makes you better
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