Common Tactical Motifs in Chess
Fork
Definition
A fork is a single move that attacks two or more enemy pieces or key squares simultaneously. Because the opponent can only respond to one threat per move, a fork often wins material.
Usage
Knights and pawns are the most frequent forking pieces, but any piece—even the king—can fork.
Examples
- Classic knight fork: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5? 6. Nxf7!—White attacks the queen on d8 and rook on h8.
- Carlsen – Aronian, Wijk aan Zee 2012: …Nd3+ forking king and rook decided the end-game.
Interesting Facts
Children are often taught the “family fork,” a knight check that also attacks both enemy rooks—a tactic that can appear even at master level.
Pin
Definition
A pin occurs when a piece cannot move without exposing a more valuable piece (or the king) behind it to capture.
Types of Pins
- Absolute pin – the pinned piece cannot legally move because it would expose the king.
- Relative pin – moving the piece is legal but usually loses material.
Historic Moment
Fischer – Benko, U.S. Championship 1963: 19.Bg5! pinned the f6-knight and led to a crushing kingside attack.
Tip
When you create a pin, reinforce it; when you are pinned, break it by interposing, counter-pinning, or moving the king.
Skewer
Definition
A skewer is the opposite of a pin: a more valuable piece is in front; when it moves, a less valuable piece behind it is captured.
Usage
Long-range pieces (bishops, rooks, and queens) execute skewers along files, ranks, or diagonals.
Example
Capablanca – Janowsky, New York 1916: 31.Rd8+! skewered Black’s queen to his back-rank rook.
Fun Fact
The term comes from cooking—think of sliding pieces off a roast skewer!
Discovered Attack
Definition
When a piece moves away, it “discovers” an attack from a long-range piece behind it.
Discovered Check
If the discovered attack is a check on the king, the tactic is even more potent.
Famous Game
Kasparov – Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 1999: 24. Rxd4!! unleashed a queen discovered attack that culminated in a brilliant mating net.
Double Check
Definition
A special form of discovered check in which both the moved piece and the uncovering piece give check. The only legal reply is to move the king.
Example
Smyslov – Botvinnik, World Championship 1954, Game 10: 28.Bxh7+!! Kg7 29.Bh6+ Kxh7 30.Ng5+! produced a decisive double check.
Decoy (Attraction)
Definition
Forcing a defending piece or the king onto a square where it becomes vulnerable.
Illustration
“Lolli mate” often begins with the decoy 1.Qxh7+ Kxh7 2.Rh3+ to lure the king onto h7.
Deflection
Definition
Forcing a key defender away from the square, file, or diagonal it is guarding.
Example
Karpov – Unzicker, Nice Olympiad 1974: 23.Rxd5! deflected Black’s queen from the defense of f7, leading to mate.
Overload (Over-extended Defender)
Definition
A defender is given too many simultaneous duties, and by adding one more threat you force a collapse.
Classic Case
In Tarrasch – Schlechter, Ostend 1907, Black’s queen was overloaded guarding both f7 and c7; Tarrasch’s 25.Qxf7+! won.
Removing the Defender
Definition
Capture (or distract) a piece that protects something important—square, piece, or mating line.
Tip
This motif often appears in conjunction with forks or mating nets; look for loose defenders.
Clearance (or Clearing Sacrifice)
Definition
Sacrificing or moving a piece to vacate a line, square, or diagonal for another piece’s action.
Example
Tal – Benko, Candidates 1959: 21.Rxd4!! cleared the d-file for the queen to infiltrate.
Interference (Blocking)
Definition
Placing a piece between two enemy pieces to interrupt their coordination; usually a sacrifice.
Famous Moment
Petrosian – Spassky, World Championship 1966, Game 10: 29.Bf8!! interfered with Black’s queen and rook, winning material.
X-ray (Indirect Attack)
Definition
A long-range piece “sees” through an intervening unit; when that unit moves or is removed, the hidden attack is revealed.
Usage
X-rays often reinforce pins, forks, or back-rank tactics.
Zwischenzug (Intermezzo)
Definition
A surprising intermediate move inserted before an expected recapture or reply, changing the evaluation of the position.
Example
Sokolov – Ivan Sokolov, Wijk aan Zee 1999: After 21...Bxd3, White’s 22.Qe8+! was a zwischenzug winning material.
Perpetual Check
Definition
A sequence of repeated checks that the opponent cannot avoid, forcing a draw.
Historical Note
Perpetual check was the saving grace for humans against computers in the early 1990s; see Kasparov – Deep Blue 1997, Game 3.
Windmill (Seesaw)
Definition
A series of alternating discovered checks and direct checks that win massive material. Usually involves a rook and bishop.
Iconic Example
Spielmann – Nimzowitsch, Munich 1905: The eternal textbook windmill with Bxh7+ and Rg8+ combinations.
Sacrifice
Definition
Voluntarily giving up material for a positional, tactical, or mating advantage.
Types
- Permanent (sound) sacrifice – ultimately justified.
- Speculative sacrifice – unclear but full of practical chances.
- Sham sacrifice – wins back material quickly, often immediately.
Memorable Moment
“The Immortal Game,” Anderssen – Kieseritzky 1851, featured multiple sacrifices culminating in mate.