Tactical Motifs
Discovered Attack
Also known as:discovery
Definition
A discovered attack is a tactic where the moving piece unblocks an attack line from another piece behind it. The moving piece often attacks its own target too, so the opponent faces two threats at once. Discovered check plus double attack is one of the most powerful tactics in chess.
Usage and Example
Example: the white knight on g5 moves to f7 with check against the black king on h8, and the knight leaving clears the diagonal for the bishop on c1, which now attacks the black queen on h6. The black king must step aside (1...Kg8), then 2.Bxh6 takes the queen.
Grandmaster Tier Context
T2 Club through T3 Competitive Local. After players understand fork and pin, discovered attack is the next level. Appears often in combinational play.