Overloading, also known as overworking, is a chess tactic in which a single piece is assigned multiple tasks, such that it cannot accomplish them all at once. By overloading a piece, the opponent is forced to choose which task to defend, often resulting in the loss of material or position.
One of the most brilliant examples of winning by overloading (in combination with other tactics) is the game between Georg Rotlewi and Akiba Rubinstein, sometimes dubbed Rubinstein’s Immortal Game. This time I took the liberty to keep the original comments by Carl Schlechter and Savielly Tartakower:
Overloading is often used with other tactics, such as pins, forks, or discovered attacks, to create a powerful combination that can win material or force a decisive advantage. It is an important concept to understand for intermediate and advanced players, and is often used in high-level chess games.