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Chess Tactic Terms Explained

A clear glossary of chess tactics terms—forks, pins, skewers, discovered attacks, deflection, and more—explained with practical meaning.

• Fork

  One piece attacks two or more targets at once.

• Pin

  A piece cannot move (or shouldn’t) because it exposes something behind it.

• Skewer

  Attack a valuable piece first; when it moves, win what’s behind it.

• Discovered Attack

  Move one piece to reveal an attack by another.

• Discovered Check

  A discovered attack where the revealed line is check.

• Double Attack

  Two threats at once (forks are a common form).

• Deflection

  Force a key defender away from its duty.

• Decoy

  Lure an enemy piece onto a bad square.

• Overloading

  One defender has too many jobs — it can’t cope.

• Removing the Defender

  Eliminate a key defender to win material or mate.

• Interference

  Block coordination between enemy pieces.

• X-Ray Attack

  Attack “through” a piece using a long-range line.

• Zugzwang

  Any move worsens the position — being forced to move is the problem.

• Zwischenzug (Intermediate Move)

  An unexpected in-between move that changes the result.

• Clearance Sacrifice

  Vacate a square or open a line, often by sacrifice.

• Windmill

  Repeated discovered checks while harvesting material.

• Sacrifice

  Give material for attack, initiative, or a forced result.

• Greek Gift

  Classic Bxh7+/Bxh2+ sacrifice to rip open the king.

• Smothered Mate

  Knight mate with king trapped by its own pieces.

• Back-Rank Mate

  Mate on the back rank with no escape square.

• Scholar’s Mate

  Early mate threat on f7/f2 with queen + bishop.