What is a discovered attack in chess?
A discovered attack is chess’s sucker punch. One of your pieces steps out of the way and a piece standing behind it suddenly attacks along the opened line.
What makes it so strong is that the piece doing the moving is free to create a second threat of its own. Your opponent now faces two attacks from one move and can only answer one. When the revealed attack is a check, it is even better: the check must be dealt with immediately, so whatever your moving piece grabbed or attacked is simply gone.
The strongest version of all is double check, where the moving piece and the revealed piece both give check at once. It is the most forcing move in chess: you cannot block two lines, you cannot capture two attackers, so the king must move — every single time. Several famous games have been won by a double check that dragged the enemy king across the board to his death.
- One piece moves aside; a piece behind it attacks along the opened line.
- The moving piece is free to make a second threat — two attacks, one move.
- Discovered check is stronger: the check must be answered first.
- Double check forces the king to move; nothing else is legal.
- Look for your own pieces standing in front of your rooks, bishops and queen.
Practise on a real board
2 short exercises. Nothing to install and no account needed — make the move on the board and the lesson checks it for you.
More about this
What is a discovered attack in chess?
A move that steps one piece out of the way so that a piece behind it attacks along the newly opened line. Because the moving piece can attack something else at the same time, it creates two threats from a single move.
What is a discovered check?
A discovered attack where the revealed attack is a check on the king. Since check must be answered immediately, the piece that moved is usually free to capture something valuable or escape to safety.
What is a double check?
Both the moving piece and the revealed piece give check at the same time. It is the most forcing move in chess, because no block or capture can stop two checks at once — the king is obliged to move.
How do you spot a discovered attack?
Look for your own rooks, bishops and queen with one of your pieces sitting directly in front of them, aimed at something valuable. Then ask where that front piece could go to create a threat of its own.
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