What is a Windmill tactic in chess?

A Windmill is a tactical pattern where one piece gives repeated discovered checks while another piece captures material on each turn.

Windmill Tactic in Chess – Repeated Checks & Forced Carnage

The windmill is a powerful tactical pattern involving repeated discovered checks.

Repeated Checks and Forced Destruction

The Windmill is a devastating tactical sequence where discovered checks allow a piece to capture multiple enemies freely.

🌪️ Definition: A Windmill (or Seesaw) is a devastating pattern where a Rook discovers a check from a Bishop, forces the King to move, and then checks again to repeat the cycle—capturing everything in its path.

1. The Most Famous Example

This is the game that made the Windmill famous. Carlos Torre sacrifices his Queen to unleash a "seesaw" of checks that decimates the World Champion's army.

Carlos Torre Repetto vs. Emanuel Lasker
Moscow, 1925

The Queen Sacrifice

25. Bf6!!

White offers his Queen! If Black takes with 25...Qxh5, the Rook on g3 and Bishop on f6 set up the deadly battery.

The Rampage

The Cycle Begins:

26.Rxg7+ Kh8 27.Rxf7+ Kg8 28.Rg7+ Kh8...
The Rook captures on f7, then b7, vacuuming the board while the Black King is helpless.

The Aftermath

32. Rxh5

When the dust settles, White has regained the Queen and emerged with a winning material advantage (2 extra pawns). Game finished: 32... Kg6 33. Rh3 Kxf6 34. Rxh6+ Kg5 35. Rh3 Reb8 36. Rg3+ Kf6 37. Rf3+ Kg6 38. a3 a5 39. bxa5 Rxa5 40. Nc4 Rd5 41. Rf4 Nd7 42. Rxe6+ Kg5 43. g3 1-0

2. Alekhine's Masterpiece

Alexander Alekhine vs A. Fletcher
London, 1928 (Simul)

The Spark

26. Qxe4!

Alekhine sacrifices the Queen to open the e-file. After 26...fxe4, the Bishop on g2 becomes a laser beam.

The Spin

27. Bxe4+

The King is pushed into the corner. The Knight then hops in (Ng6+) to continue the discovered check sequence ending in mate.

The Windmill Tactic