Discovered Attack - Chess Tactics

Discovered Attack

Definition

A discovered attack occurs when a piece moves away and thereby “uncovers” a second piece that suddenly attacks an enemy target. The moving piece was previously masking the line of attack; once it vacates that line, the hidden attacker is “discovered.” • If the revealed attack checks the opponent’s king the tactic is called a discovered check. • If both the moving piece and the newly uncovered piece create separate, simultaneous threats, the combination is called a double discovered attack (or discovered double attack).

How It Is Used in Play

• Clearing a line: Players often place two long-range pieces (bishop, rook, or queen) on the same file, rank, or diagonal so that moving the front piece later unleashes the rear piece.
• Tempo gain: Because the opponent must react to the newly revealed threat, the attacking side often wins time to launch a further offensive or win material.
• Piece coordination: A discovered attack is most powerful when the vacating piece simultaneously creates a threat of its own (for example, a check or capture), forcing the defender to cope with two dangers at once.

Strategic & Historical Significance

The concept dates back to medieval chess manuscripts, but it was the romantic era of the 19th century that popularized brilliant sacrifices based on discovered attacks. Masters such as Adolf Anderssen and Paul Morphy employed them to dazzling effect, showing how coordination and imagination could overpower material considerations. Today, the tactic remains a staple of every player’s arsenal, frequently appearing in opening traps, middlegame combinations, and even simplified endgames.

Classic Examples

1. Lasker vs. Bauer, Amsterdam 1889

   Position (after 16…f5): White bishop on c4, queen on h5, rook on d1; Black queen on d8, king on g8. Move: 17. Rxd5! exd5
   18. Bxd5+ — the rook’s capture opened the d-file to expose the bishop on c4 against the queen on d8. Black resigned two moves later because of decisive material loss.

2. Anderssen vs. Kieseritzky, “Immortal Game,” London 1851

   In the spectacular finale, 22. Bf7+!! forces the black king into a mating net while simultaneously uncovering White’s queen and rook battery along the a2–g8 diagonal. Although famous for the subsequent sacrifices, the key tactical motif is a discovered double attack.

3. Modern Mini-Lesson (constructed)
   

   White lines up queen on d3 and rook on d1 against Black’s queen on d8. After 23. Qh3! (vacating d-file), the rook is unleashed on d1, while the queen simultaneously threatens mate on h7—a textbook discovered double attack.

Tips for Spotting and Executing Discovered Attacks

• Look for two friendly pieces on the same line with an enemy target behind the front piece.
• Calculate squares where the front piece can move to create an additional threat (check, capture, mate).
• Remember that even a seemingly “idle” move of a pawn or minor piece can unleash a powerful battery.
• Conversely, when defending, ask: “What happens if that apparently harmless piece steps aside?”

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• The term “veil lifted” is sometimes used informally to describe a discovered attack, evoking the dramatic reveal of the hidden piece.
• A triple discovered attack is theoretically possible but extraordinarily rare: the vacating piece checks, the uncovered piece attacks a valuable target, and another line (e.g., a diagonal opened for a bishop) also threatens material.
• Computer engines excel at spotted discovered attacks instantly; Garry Kasparov famously missed a subtle one against Deep Blue in their 1997 match, resulting in a small but critical advantage for the machine in Game 2.
• Many opening traps—such as the “Noah’s Ark Trap” in the Ruy Lopez—rely on discovered attacks (here, Black’s pawn moves unleashing the queen or bishop) to win a piece.