Discovered Attack - Chess Tactics

Discovered Attack

Definition

A discovered attack occurs when a player moves one of their pieces away to reveal an attack by another piece that had been hidden behind it. The moving piece may (but does not have to) create a second, simultaneous threat of its own. If the revealed threat is a direct check to the enemy king, the tactic is called a discovered check; if both the moving piece and the revealed piece give check, it is a double check.

Mechanics and Usage

• The “front” piece moves, uncovering a line (rank, file, or diagonal) for the “rear” piece.
• The rear piece immediately attacks a target—most commonly the king, queen, or rook.
• The front piece is often free to capture something or create a secondary threat because the opponent must usually deal with the revealed attack first.

Strategic Significance

Discovered attacks are powerful because they effectively let one move produce two threats: the revealed attack plus whatever the moved piece is doing. This can:

• Win material outright (e.g., revealing an attack on an unprotected queen).
• Lead to mating nets, especially if the rear piece reveals check.
• Force positional concessions—an opponent may have to block with a piece that lands on a bad square.

Classic Pattern

The most common set-ups involve long-range pieces (bishops, rooks, queens) sitting behind a shorter-range piece (pawn, knight, bishop). Typical examples:

1. Bishop on b2, rook on e1, knight moves from f3 to g5 unveiling a battery on the e-file.
2. Queen on d1, bishop on c2, pawn advances from d2-d4 opening the diagonal toward h7.
3. Rook on g1, bishop on c1; knight hops from f3 to g5, revealing pressure on g7.

Illustrative Example

In the miniature below, White engineers a textbook discovered attack on Black’s queen.

Move 8.fxg7!! removed the knight from f6 and discovered the rook on h1 against the pin on the g-file. Black’s rook is forced to g8, and after 9.Qe2+! the queen joins in; White soon wins material. Although not a forced line from a famous game, the position neatly shows the theme.

Famous Games

• Lasker vs. Bauer, Amsterdam 1889 – Lasker uncorks the celebrated 13.Bxh7+!! followed by a devastating discovered check when his queen lands on h5.
• Alekhine vs. Nimzowitsch, San Remo 1930 – Alekhine’s 26.Nf6+!! discovered a lethal bishop check on h7, forcing resignation two moves later.
• Kasparov vs. Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 1999 – The “Immortal Kasparov” features multiple discovered attacks culminating in the famous 24.Rxd4!! combo.

Tips to Spot and Create Discovered Attacks

• Look for batteries: two long-range pieces lined up with something in front.
• Visualize the board minus the front piece; if a target appears, a discovered attack is possible.
• Arrange your pieces so that several candidate moves of the front piece will be checks or threats, increasing tactical pressure.
• Remember that in a discovered check, the opponent must address the check, often leaving the front piece free to cause more havoc.

Fun Facts & Anecdotes

• Discovered attacks are sometimes called “Frankenstein-Dracula tactics” in club lore because they appear out of nowhere and “scare” the opponent.
• In the early days of chess journalism, the phrase “maskirovka” (Russian for “camouflage”) was occasionally used to describe especially sneaky discovered attacks in Soviet annotations.
• The fastest possible discovered double check occurs on move 5 of the Fried Liver Attack: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5, when White’s bishop on c4 and knight on g5 simultaneously check if Black replies 5…Nxd5??.