Chessworld.net founded in 2000 is an online chess site.
If you would like to play relaxed, friendly online chess, then...
or

Chess Tactic Terms Explained

• Fork:

  A single piece attacks two or more enemy pieces at the same time, often forcing a material gain.

• Pin:

  A piece cannot move without exposing a more valuable piece behind it. Common with bishops and rooks.

• Skewer:

  The opposite of a pin; a more valuable piece is attacked first and when it moves, a less valuable piece is captured behind it.

• Discovered Attack:

  One piece moves out of the way to reveal an attack from another piece.

• Double Attack:

  Two threats are made simultaneously, usually forcing a loss of material for the opponent.

• Deflection:

  Luring a defending piece away from its key duty, often leading to tactical losses.

• Decoy:

  Tempting an enemy piece onto a square where it becomes vulnerable to attack.

• X-ray Attack:

  An attack through another piece, often using long-range pieces like rooks or bishops.

• Zwischenzug:

  An intermediate move inserted before a recapture or expected reply to change the outcome.

• Clearance Sacrifice:

  Sacrificing a piece to clear a file, rank, or diagonal for a decisive attack.

• Interference:

  Deliberately placing a piece between enemy units to disrupt their coordination.

• Overloading:

  A single piece is tasked with defending multiple targets, which can be exploited.

• Sacrifice:

  Giving up material for long-term compensation such as initiative, king safety, or an attack.

• Trapping a Piece:

  Preventing an enemy piece from escaping, eventually leading to its capture.

• Blockade:

  Placing a piece (often a knight) in front of a pawn to stop it from advancing.

• Zugzwang:

  A situation where any move would worsen your opponent's position, forcing them into a disadvantage.

• Elimination of Defense:

  Removing or capturing the defender of a piece or key square.

• Opposition:

  A key endgame concept where kings face each other with one square between — crucial for pawn races.

• Triangulation:

  Maneuvering a king or piece in a triangle to lose a tempo and gain the opposition.

• Clearance:

  Opening lines for your pieces by moving a piece off its square, often with tempo.

• Undermining:

  Attacking the base of your opponent's pawn chain or support structure.

• Outpost:

  A square that cannot be attacked by enemy pawns where you can safely place a strong piece like a knight.

• Passed Pawn:

  A pawn with no enemy pawns blocking or stopping its path to promotion.

• Pawn Promotion:

  Advancing a pawn to the 8th rank to convert it into a queen or other piece.

• Knight Outpost:

  A powerful square for a knight, often deep in enemy territory and hard to remove.

• Queen Sacrifice:

  Giving up the queen to force checkmate or gain overwhelming positional advantage.

• Rook Sacrifice:

  A tactical decision to give up a rook for a greater goal such as a mating attack or passed pawn.

• Bishop Pair:

  The strategic power of having two bishops, particularly in open positions.

• Double Bishop Sacrifice:

  Sacrificing both bishops in succession to expose the enemy king and finish with a mating attack.

• Greek Gift Sacrifice:

  A classic sacrifice involving a bishop capturing on h7 (or h2) to begin a king-side attack.

• Smothered Mate:

  Checkmate by a knight when the enemy king is trapped by its own pieces.

• Back Rank Mate:

  Delivering mate on the back rank when the enemy king is blocked by unmoved pawns.

• Boden's Mate:

  A rare double-bishop checkmate pattern across intersecting diagonals.

• Damiano's Defense:

  A dubious opening that exposes the f7 square early — often punished tactically.

• Fool's Mate:

  The fastest possible checkmate in chess, typically occurring in two moves due to early king exposure.

• Greco's Mate:

  A basic mating pattern involving the queen and bishop against an uncastled king.

• Legal's Mate:

  A beautiful mate involving a queen sacrifice followed by a minor piece checkmate.