Chess for dummies: The beginner's guide, simplified !
Part 3 - Middle game tactics / strategies
Tactics, tactics and more tactics !
Fork: When a piece attacks 2 of the enemy's pieces of more value, and the enemy can save only one thus forceably losing a more valuable piece to a less value able. Few examples in diagrams.
The knight fork, most common of forks. 'Tricky knights'. Black's king is under check, and at the same time, black's queen is attacked. So here black is forced to save his king first at the cost of losing his queen.
The pawn fork, 2nd most common forks.
Bishop fork, less frequently seen, bishop on g7 can capture the c3 pawn, forking the King and the rook.
Pins: A pin is a move that inhibits an opponent piece from moving, because doing so would expose a more valuable (or vulnerable) piece behind it. Only bishops, rooks, and queens can effect a pin, since they can move more than one square in a straight line. If the pinned piece cannot move because doing so would produce check, the pin is called absolute. If moving the pinned piece would expose a non-king piece, the pin is called relative.
Skewers: A skewer is a move which attacks two pieces in a line, similar to a pin, except that the enemy piece of greater value is in front of the piece of lesser value.
Discovered Attacks: A discovered attack is a move which allows an attack by another piece. A piece is moved away so as to allow the attack of a friendly bishop, rook or queen on an enemy piece. If the attacked piece is the king, the situation is referred to as a discovered check. Discovered attacks are powerful since the moved piece may be able to pose a second threat.
A special case of a discovered check is a double check, where both the piece being unmasked and the piece being moved attack the enemy king. A double check always forces the opponent to move the king, since it is impossible to counter attacks from two directions in any other way
- Links to other Parts of the series
- Part 1 - The basics
Part 2 - The openings
Part 3 - The middle game
Part 4 - The end game
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