Chess Wiki
Chess Tactics Wiki
A reference for tactical motifs, mating patterns, calculation cues, and defensive resources.
Absolute and Relative Pins in Chess
Learn how absolute, relative, and situational pins work, how to create and exploit them, when a pinned piece can still move, and how to break the pin safely.
TacticsAnastasia's Mate in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Anastasia's Mate from a restricted king and a mating net; test Ne6 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsArabian Mate in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Arabian Mate from a restricted king and a mating net; test Kf8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsAttraction in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Attraction from two aligned attackers on the king file; test Kd7 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsBack-Rank Mate Patterns: Attack and Defense
Learn how back-rank checkmates work, recognize boxed-in kings and overloaded defenders, calculate rook invasions, create luft, and prevent the tactic safely.
TacticsBattery in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Battery from two aligned attackers on the king file; test Kg8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsBlunder, Mistake, or Inaccuracy in Chess?
Understand the practical difference between a blunder, mistake, and inaccuracy, why engine labels vary, how errors happen, and how to review the first cause.
TacticsBoden's Mate in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Boden's Mate from a restricted king and a mating net; test Kf8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsCastling Tactic in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Castling Tactic from castling rights and an open king route; test O-O against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsChess Forks: How to Attack Two Targets
Learn how knight, pawn, queen, king, rook, and bishop forks work; find forcing fork squares, calculate escape moves, and avoid false or tactically unsound forks.
TacticsClearance Move in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Clearance Move from two aligned attackers on the king file; test Rxe7+ against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsClearance Sacrifice in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Clearance Sacrifice from a sacrifice that removes a king defender; test Kh8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsCorridor Mate in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Corridor Mate from a restricted king and a mating net; test Ke8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsCross-Pin in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Cross-Pin from a line piece pinned to the king; test Kf8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsThe Decoy Tactic in Chess
Learn how a decoy forces a king or piece onto a vulnerable square, how it differs from deflection, how to calculate sacrifices, and how to spot the follow-up.
TacticsDefensive Zwischenzug in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Defensive Zwischenzug from an in-between check before the expected recapture; test Re8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsDeflection Tactics in Chess: Remove the Defender
Learn how deflection forces a defender away from a piece, square, or line; calculate forcing captures and sacrifices; and distinguish it from decoy and removal.
TacticsDesperado Move in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Desperado Move from an in-between check before the expected recapture; test Kf8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsDiscovered Attacks and Discovered Checks
Learn how discovered attacks work, build a bishop-rook-queen battery, choose the best move for the blocking piece, calculate double checks, and defend the tactic.
TacticsDiscovered Check in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Discovered Check from two aligned attackers on the king file; test Kb8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsDouble Attack in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Double Attack from a knight fork against two major targets; test Kf8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsDouble Check in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Double Check from two aligned attackers on the king file; test Rf8+ against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsEn Passant Tactic in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through En Passant Tactic from the en-passant window as a tactical resource; test Kxe8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsExchange Sacrifice in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Exchange Sacrifice from a sacrifice that removes a king defender; test Ne5 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsFamily Fork in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Family Fork from a knight fork against two major targets; test Na8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsFishing Pole Trap in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Fishing Pole Trap from a trapped high-value piece and its escape squares; test Kf8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsForcing Move Sequence in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Forcing Move Sequence from an in-between check before the expected recapture; test Ke8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsGreek Gift Sacrifice in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Greek Gift Sacrifice from a sacrifice that removes a king defender; test Kh8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsInterference in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Interference from two aligned attackers on the king file; test Kd8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsKnight Outpost Tactic in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Knight Outpost Tactic from two aligned attackers on the king file; test Kf7 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsLine Closing in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Line Closing from two aligned attackers on the king file; test Kf8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsLine Opening in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Line Opening from two aligned attackers on the king file; test Kf8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsMating Net in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Mating Net from a restricted king and a mating net; test Kg8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsMating Threat in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Mating Threat from a restricted king and a mating net; test Kf8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsMinor-Piece Fork in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Minor-Piece Fork from a knight fork against two major targets; test Kf8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsOverloaded Defender in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Overloaded Defender from two aligned attackers on the king file; test Kf7 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsOverloaded Piece in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Overloaded Piece from two aligned attackers on the king file; test Ra7+ against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsPawn Fork in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Pawn Fork from a knight fork against two major targets; test Kf8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsPerpetual Check in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Perpetual Check from two aligned attackers on the king file; test Rxe7+ against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsPoisoned Pawn Tactic in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Poisoned Pawn Tactic from a trapped high-value piece and its escape squares; test Kf8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsPromotion Tactic in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Promotion Tactic from a promotion threat used as a tactic; test g8=N against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsQueen Fork in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Queen Fork from a knight fork against two major targets; test Nc8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsQueen Trap in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Queen Trap from a trapped high-value piece and its escape squares; test Kf8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsRelative Pin in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Relative Pin from a line piece pinned to the king; test Nb8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsRemove the Defender: A Practical Chess Tactic
Learn how to identify a critical defender and eliminate it by capture, exchange, deflection, overload, interference, or a forcing sacrifice before taking the target.
TacticsRemoving Escape Squares in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Removing Escape Squares from two aligned attackers on the king file; test Kc8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsRook Fork in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Rook Fork from a knight fork against two major targets; test Kf8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsRook Lift Tactic in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Rook Lift Tactic from two aligned attackers on the king file; test Rxe7+ against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsRoyal Fork in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Royal Fork from a knight fork against two major targets; test Kf8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsChess Skewers: Attack Through a Valuable Piece
Learn how skewers work on ranks, files, and diagonals; distinguish them from pins; calculate king and queen skewers; and find the safest defense or follow-up.
TacticsSmothered Mate in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Smothered Mate from a restricted king and a mating net; test Ne5 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsStalemate Trick in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Stalemate Trick from a restricted king and a mating net; test Kg8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsTrapped Queen in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Trapped Queen from a trapped high-value piece and its escape squares; test Ne2 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsTrapping a Piece in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Trapping a Piece from a line piece pinned to the king; test Kf8 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsTriple Attack in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Triple Attack from a knight fork against two major targets; test Kd3 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsUnderpromotion Tactic in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Underpromotion Tactic from a promotion threat used as a tactic; test Bh7 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsWindmill in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through Windmill from two aligned attackers on the king file; test Kg7 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsX-Ray Attack in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through X-Ray Attack from two aligned attackers on the king file; test Qb4 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsX-Ray Defense in Chess: Recognition and Defense
Work through X-Ray Defense from two aligned attackers on the king file; test e6 against the defender's best legal resource.
TacticsZwischenzug: Find the In-Between Move
Learn how a zwischenzug interrupts an expected recapture with a stronger check, capture, or threat; calculate the move order; and avoid intermediate-move mistakes.