ChessWorld.net, founded in 2000, is an online chess site. Play relaxed, friendly correspondence-style chess — with online daily, turn-based games — at your own pace.

Chess Tactics Guide

Most chess games under 1600 are decided by one thing: tactics. Tactics are the short, forcing ideas that win material, create decisive threats, or deliver checkmate. This page is your simple “map” of the most important tactical patterns — so you can recognise them faster and start converting more wins.

♟️ What Are Chess Tactics?

Tactics usually work because something is loose, overloaded, or the king is vulnerable — and a forcing move makes it impossible to defend everything. If you’re not sure what tactics “really are” yet, start here.

• What Are Chess Tactics?
• Chess Tactics vs Strategy
• Chess Combinations Explained
• Forcing Moves in Chess (Checks, Captures, Threats)

🎯 The Main Tactical Patterns

These are the patterns you’ll see again and again. Learn them, and you’ll start spotting “free wins” much more often.

Forks, Pins, Skewers & Double Attacks

• Fork (hit two things at once)
• Knight Forks (interactive trainer)
• Pin (a piece can’t move)
• Absolute Pin
• Relative Pin
• Skewer (valuable piece behind)
• Double Attack

Discovered Attacks, X-Ray & “Line” Tactics

• Discovered Attack
• Discovered Check
• Double Check
• Windmill
• X-Ray Attack
• Battery (pieces working together)
• Alekhine’s Gun

Deflection, Decoys & Interference

• Deflection (pull defender away)
• Decoy (lure to a bad square)
• Clearance (move something out of the way)
• Interference (block a line)
• Removing the Defender
• Desperado

Traps & Trapped Pieces

• Trapping Pieces

♚ Checkmate Patterns

A lot of tactics are really “mate threats in disguise.” If you recognise common mating patterns, you’ll convert attacks much more cleanly.

• Checkmate Patterns (Hub)
• Back Rank Mate
• Smothered Mate
• Greek Gift Sacrifice
• Anastasia’s Mate
• Arabian Mate
• Blind Swine Mate
• Scholar’s Mate

💥 Sacrifices & Attacking Ideas

Sacrifices aren’t “random gambles.” Most of the time, they work because they open lines, remove key defenders, or expose the king.

• Chess Sacrifices
• Exchange Sacrifice
• Attacking Chess
• The King Hunt

🧠 Advanced Tactical Ideas

Once you know the basic patterns, these ideas show up constantly in real games and help you find the “killer move” more reliably.

• Zwischenzug (In-Between Move)
• Undermining
• Overloading
• Zugzwang
• Underpromotion

📚 Glossary & Quick Reference

If you want a fast “lookup” style page, use these.

• Chess Tactics Glossary
• Most Used Chess Tactics
• Chess Combination Tactics

📘 Want a Complete Step-by-Step Path?

If you’d rather follow one clear plan (instead of jumping between pages), the complete tactics course brings everything together with guided examples.