Learn chess
Tactics to practise, patterns to spot, and guides to read. Every concept below is detected on the real board while you review a game.
Forks & double attacks
- Fork
One piece attacks two or more targets at once, so only one can be saved.
Practice this tactic → - Discovered attack
Moving one piece uncovers an attack from the piece behind it.
Practice this tactic → - Sacrifice
Material given up on purpose for check, mate or a decisive follow-up.
Practice this tactic → - Promotion tactic
A pawn reaching the last rank creates a new queen and new threats.
Practice this tactic → - Knight fork
A knight lands on a square touching two enemy pieces, and the attack cannot be blocked.
Practice this tactic → - Pawn fork
One pawn push attacks two pieces; the cheapest attacker forces the biggest concession.
Practice this tactic → - Queen fork
The queen hits two targets along different lines, usually with check.
Practice this tactic → - Royal fork
A fork that hits king and queen together, so the queen is lost by force.
Practice this tactic → - Double attack
Any move that creates two threats at once, whether from one piece or two.
Practice this tactic → - Discovered check
A piece steps aside and the piece behind it gives check, freeing the mover to grab material.
Practice this tactic → - Double check
Two pieces check the king at once, so only a king move can answer it.
Practice this tactic →
Pins, skewers & x-rays
- Pin
A piece cannot move because something more valuable sits behind it.
Practice this tactic → - Skewer
The valuable piece is in front; when it steps aside the piece behind falls.
Practice this tactic → - X-ray attack
A long-range piece acts through an enemy piece onto the square beyond it.
Practice this tactic →
Defensive breakdowns
- Removing the defender
Capture or chase the piece that was holding a key square together.
Practice this tactic → - Overloaded defender
One piece is asked to guard two things and cannot do both.
Practice this tactic → - Hanging piece
An undefended piece sitting inside the opponent's attack range.
Practice this tactic → - Trapped piece
An attacked piece whose every escape square is also covered.
Practice this tactic →
Mating patterns
- Back-rank mate
A rook or queen mates on the last rank behind an unmoved pawn wall.
Practice this tactic → - Smothered mate
A knight mates a king boxed in entirely by its own pieces.
Practice this tactic →
Opening traps
- Fried Liver
The Italian knight sacrifice on f7 that drags the king into the open.
Practice this tactic →
Blog guides
Deeper reads on principles, openings, improvement, notation and tournament play.
Principles
The rules behind good moves: centre, development, king safety and pawn structure.
Openings
Plans and structures for the openings you will actually face.
Improvement
Study routines, counting habits and review methods that raise ratings.
Notation
Reading and writing moves properly: algebraic notation, the awkward moves, scoresheets and board memory.
Tournament play
Nerves, etiquette, fair play, the arbiter, the clock and how to prepare for your next event.