Chess is a strategic board game that has been played for centuries. It is a game that requires both strategic thinking and tactical skills. Tactics are a set of moves or combinations that lead to a specific goal, such as capturing an opponent’s piece or putting them in checkmate. This is a list of the most fundamental tactical ideas:
- Forks: A fork is a move that attacks two or more pieces simultaneously, forcing the opponent to choose which piece to save. A well-executed fork can give the player a significant advantage. For example, a knight placed in a central square can threaten both the queen and the rook simultaneously. If the opponent moves the queen to safety, the rook can be captured.
- Pins: A pin is a move that restricts the mobility of a piece by attacking it with a more valuable piece. The pinned piece cannot move without leaving a more valuable piece unprotected. A common example of a pin is when a bishop pins a knight against the king. The pinned knight cannot move without putting the king in check.
- Skewers: A skewer is a move that attacks a valuable piece that is hiding behind a less valuable piece. The less valuable piece is forced to move, leaving the more valuable piece exposed to capture. For example, a queen can skewer a rook and a king that are lined up on the same file.
- Double Attacks: A double attack is a move that attacks two or more pieces simultaneously, forcing the opponent to choose which piece to save. Unlike a fork, the double attack does not require the attacking piece to be in a central position. For example, a bishop can attack both a pawn and a rook on the same diagonal.
- Discovered Attacks: A discovered attack is a move that uncovers an attack by another piece. The attacking piece moves out of the way, revealing an attack by another piece behind it. This can be particularly effective when the discovered attack is against the opponent’s king. For example, a knight can move to reveal an attack by a bishop on the opponent’s king.
- Sacrifices: A sacrifice is a move that involves giving up a valuable piece in exchange for a more significant advantage. Sacrifices can be particularly effective in the endgame when a player is trying to checkmate their opponent. For example, sacrificing a bishop or a knight can lead to a quick checkmate if the opponent is not careful.
- Overloading: Who watches the watchers?
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. - Windmill: Grind up your opponent’s defenses
A windmill, also known as a seesaw, is a strategic maneuver in chess where a player repeatedly captures their opponent’s pieces while also setting up a sequence of checks that can’t be avoided. - Pawn Storm: A direct way to break through enemy defenses
The success of a pawn storm depends on several factors, including the position of the opponent’s pieces, the strength of their pawn structure, and the timing of the attack. A well-timed pawn storm can be devastating, as it can force the opponent to make difficult decisions and create weaknesses that can be exploited. - The Exchange Office: Sacrifice a rook for a minor piece
The exchange sacrifice can be a risky move, as the rook is typically considered to be more valuable than a minor piece. However, it can also be a powerful tactic when used effectively, and is often employed by experienced players as a surprise attack or to gain a decisive advantage in a critical position. - Bishops versus knights: What is stronger and why?
As we know, the value of each piece depends on its mobility, the potential threats it poses, and its ability to control the board. - Domination: An effective way to restrain your opponent
Domination occurs when a player controls all the squares that an enemy piece can move to. For instance, if a player’s knight is surrounded by the opponent’s pawns, and there are no squares that the knight can move to without being captured, the knight is said to be dominated. - When can you start a risky attack?
However, it’s important to remember that starting a risky attack can also backfire and lead to a disadvantageous position or even a loss. Therefore, it’s crucial to weigh the risks and rewards carefully. - How many pieces would you trade for a queen?
By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each piece, you can make better decisions on the board, anticipate your opponent’s moves, and create winning strategies. - Luft: Give your king some air! Don’t get surprised on the back rank
Luft is a term used in chess to refer to the space or square created by moving a pawn, which provides an escape route for the king (often after castling), particularly when this space is deliberately created to prevent a back-rank checkmate. - Isolated pawns and how to exploit them
One of the main ways to exploit an isolated pawn is to attack it. By attacking an isolated pawn, you force your opponent to either defend it with a more valuable piece, such as a knight or bishop, or to leave it undefended. - Desperados in chess: How to save the game
In chess, a desperado is a piece that is doomed to be captured, but can capture one or more enemy pieces before it is taken. The term “desperado” comes from Spanish, where it means “desperate” or “hopeless”. - Protected passed pawn: A path of a steamroller
A passed pawn that is protected by its own pawns is called a protected passed pawn. A pair of connected passed pawns is sometimes called a steamroller. - Decoy: The ultimate weapon of the attacking player
One of the most common decoys in chess is the queen sacrifice. In this tactic, a player offers their queen to their opponent in exchange for a material advantage or a checkmate. - Greek gift sacrifice: Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes
In this case, the attacking player offers a bishop sacrifice to break through the opponent’s defense and lure out their king to eventually checkmate it or at least gain a significant material advantage. - Boden’s Mate: Peruvian Immortal and more
Boden’s Mate is characterized by a king being mated by two bishops on criss-crossing diagonals, with possible flight squares blocked by friendly pieces. Samuel Boden, for whom the mate is named, administered an early example of it in the friendly game Schulder–Boden, London 1853. - Cross-Check: The counter-offensive is the best defense
In chess, a cross-check is a tactic in which a check is played in response to a check, especially when the original check is blocked by a piece that itself either delivers check or reveals a discovered check from another piece. - Artificial Castling: Protect your king by hand
Artificial castling, also known as castling by hand (or manual castling), is a positional maneuver used by players that want to achieve a castled position without the use of castling. - Alekhine’s Gun: Unleash an aggressive heavy battery to crush opponents
How can you defend against this strong attack formation? Well, the most straightforward way is to prevent the opponent from creating it in the first place. It shouldn’t be too difficult because to place both rooks and a queen on a single file usually requires a long sequence of moves. The intention to build the battery can be spotted at the early stage, so you have enough time to counter it.
A player who understands and can execute these tactics will have a significant advantage over their opponent. Learning and practicing these tactics can help players become more effective and efficient in their gameplay. So, whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, mastering chess tactics is a must.