A chess tactic is a short, forcing sequence of moves - usually checks, captures and threats - that wins material or delivers checkmate. The five every beginner should learn first are the fork (one piece attacks two at once), the pin (a piece cannot move without exposing a more valuable one behind it), the skewer (a valuable piece is attacked and must move, exposing a piece behind it), the discovered attack and the double check.
Tactics are where beginner games are won and lost. You can play a perfect opening and lose a knight to a fork on move twelve. The good news is that tactics are patterns, and patterns can be learned. This guide assumes you know how the pieces move and what check and checkmate mean.
The fork (double attack)
A fork is one piece attacking two or more enemy pieces at the same time. Your opponent can only save one. Any piece can fork, but the knight is the master of it, because the pieces it forks cannot capture it back: no queen, rook, bishop, king or pawn can reach a square a knight's move away. Only another knight can.
The most valuable fork is one that includes the king, because check must be answered, so the second piece is lost for certain. Look out especially for a knight landing on c7, hitting an uncastled king on e8 and the rook on a8, or on f7, hitting the queen on d8 and the rook on h8.
The pin
A pin happens when a bishop, rook or queen attacks a piece that has a more valuable piece behind it on the same line. If the pinned piece moves, the piece behind it is exposed.
- In an absolute pin, the piece behind is the king. The pinned piece legally cannot move at all.
- In a relative pin, the piece behind is valuable but not the king - say a queen or rook. The pinned piece can move, but it will usually cost material.
A pinned piece is a weak piece: it is not really defending anything, and you can attack it again - often with a pawn - knowing it cannot run away. "Attack the pinned piece" is one of the most useful rules in chess.
The skewer
A skewer is a pin in reverse. The more valuable piece is in front: it is attacked, has to move, and the less valuable piece behind it is captured.
Skewers are most common with rooks and queens in the endgame, where kings and pieces stand on open lines. Whenever two enemy pieces share a rank, file or diagonal, check whether you can attack the front one.
The discovered attack
A discovered attack happens when one piece moves out of the way and uncovers an attack by a piece behind it. It is powerful because it creates two threats at once: one from the piece that moved and one from the piece it uncovered. When the uncovered attack is on the king, it is a discovered check - and then the piece that moved can go almost anywhere, even to a square where it can be captured.
The double check
A double check is a discovered check where the piece that moves also gives check. The king is attacked by two pieces at once. You cannot block two checks or capture two pieces in one move, so the only legal reply to a double check is to move the king. That makes double check the most forcing move in chess, and it is behind many brilliant mates.
How to spot tactics in your own games
Tactics do not appear by accident; they come from features in the position. Before each move, run through this checklist:
- Checks, captures, threats - list every forcing move you have, in that order, and every one your opponent has.
- Loose pieces - which pieces, yours and theirs, are undefended? Undefended pieces are the targets of forks.
- Lines - are a king and queen, or a queen and rook, on the same line? That is a pin or skewer waiting to happen.
- The king - is either king short of escape squares? That is where back-rank mates come from.
How to practise chess tactics
The most effective method is daily puzzle solving: ten to fifteen minutes of puzzles grouped by theme, so the pattern repeats until it is recognised instantly. Solve them by calculating the whole line before moving, not by trying moves until one works. Then review your own games for tactics you or your opponent missed.
This is exactly how the first level of our Intermediate Chess Course is built: double attacks and knight forks, pins, skewers, back-rank tactics, discovered attacks and double checks, each taught at an easy and then a medium level, with revision and practice sessions in between. Later levels move on to deflection, decoys, overloading and mates in two. Students who are still on the rules should start with the Beginner Chess Course, which ends with simple tactics like attacking and capturing hanging pieces.
| Tactic | What happens | Best pieces for it |
|---|---|---|
| Fork | One piece attacks two or more | Knight, queen, pawn |
| Pin | A piece cannot move without exposing a bigger one behind it | Bishop, rook, queen |
| Skewer | A big piece is attacked and must move, exposing one behind | Bishop, rook, queen |
| Discovered attack | A moving piece uncovers an attack from another | Any piece in front of a bishop, rook or queen |
| Double check | Two pieces give check at once - only a king move helps | Knight or bishop moving off a line |
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common tactic in chess?
The fork, or double attack, is the most common, and the knight fork is the one beginners meet most often. Pins come a close second, especially pins against the king and queen in the opening.
What is the difference between a pin and a skewer?
In a pin, the less valuable piece is in front and cannot safely move because a more valuable piece is behind it. In a skewer, the more valuable piece is in front, is forced to move, and the piece behind it is captured.
How many chess puzzles should a beginner solve a day?
Ten to twenty puzzles a day, solved carefully, is more useful than a hundred solved quickly. Consistency matters more than volume: a short daily session builds pattern recognition faster than an occasional long one.
When should a child start learning chess tactics?
As soon as they know how the pieces move and what checkmate is. Simple tactics like attacking undefended pieces start within the first few weeks of a beginner course; named patterns like forks, pins and skewers usually follow once the rules are secure.