Chess tactics

23 tactical themes, explained in plain English, with 15,525 puzzles from beginner to expert on FoxyChess.

ForkOne piece attacks two or more enemy pieces at the same time, so your opponent can only save one. Knights are…PinA piece can't move, or can't move without losing something bigger, because it is shielding a more valuable…SkewerThe reverse of a pin. The more valuable piece is in front and is attacked, and when it steps aside, the piece…Discovered AttackYou move one piece out of the way and uncover an attack by a piece standing behind it. The moving piece can…Double CheckA discovered check where the piece that moves also gives check, so the king is attacked twice. Blocking or…DeflectionForce a defending piece away from the square or piece it is guarding, usually with a check or a sacrifice, so…AttractionLure an enemy piece, very often the king, onto a particular square with a sacrifice, where it can then be hit…ClearanceMove one of your own pieces out of the way, often with a sacrifice, to clear a square or open a line for…InterferenceDrop a piece onto the line between an enemy piece and the square or piece it defends, cutting the connection.IntermezzoAn in-between move. Instead of the recapture everyone expects, first play a stronger move, usually a check or…X-Ray AttackA rook, bishop or queen attacks or defends through an enemy piece on the same line. When the piece in between…Capturing the DefenderTake or exchange off the piece that is guarding an important square or piece, and the target is left…SacrificeGive up material on purpose to get something bigger back: a mating attack, a winning tactic or a decisive…Trapped PieceA piece with no safe squares to go to. Attack it and it is lost, however valuable it is. Bishops and queens…Hanging PieceA piece that is attacked and not defended, so it can simply be taken for free. Spotting hanging pieces, yours…Quiet MoveA move with no check or capture that sets up a threat your opponent can't meet. Quiet moves are the hardest…ZugzwangAny move your opponent makes will make their position worse, but they have to move. Zugzwang decides many…PromotionPush a pawn to the last rank to turn it into a queen (or another piece). These puzzles use tactics to clear…Exposed KingThe enemy king has few pawns or pieces around it. Checks and attacks come quickly, and the defender is often…Kingside AttackPuzzles where the win comes from attacking a king that has castled on the kingside, using sacrifices, open…Queenside AttackPuzzles where the play happens on the queenside, against a king that has castled long or against weak…Attacking f2/f7At the start of the game f2 and f7 are the weakest squares on the board, defended only by the king. Many…Special MovesCastling, en passant and underpromotion. These rules decide real games, and these puzzles make sure you never…

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