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Tactic

Discovered Attack

Moving a piece out of the way to reveal a hidden attack from a piece sitting behind it.

Starting position

The Setup

Look at the long light-squared diagonal. White's bishop on g2 is currently staring at its own knight on e4, but directly behind that knight sits the black queen.

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Move sequences and interactive tour paths for Discovered Attack

Starting Position (FEN): q5k1/5ppp/8/8/4N3/8/6B1/6K1 w - - 0 1

The Discovery

  • The Setup - Look at the long light-squared diagonal. White's bishop on g2 is currently staring at its own knight on e4, but directly behind that knight sits the black queen.
  • Nf6+: The Discovery - The knight jumps to f6 with check. By moving out of the way, the knight discovers the hidden attack from the white bishop onto the black queen.
  • gxf6: Dealing with the Check - Because the knight is checking the king, Black is forced to deal with that immediate threat first. They have no time to save the queen.
  • Bxa8: Winning the Queen - The bishop strikes. Discovered attacks are devastating because they effectively allow you to make two threats with a single move.
For experienced players

A discovered attack is especially lethal when the masking piece (the one that moves) creates a threat that demands an immediate answer — like a check, a mate threat, or an attack on the queen.

See also:Double check·How the Bishop Moves·Deflection

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