double attack

The idea

One piece attacks two targets at once. Your opponent can only defend one — the other is lost. That is the whole strength of the tactic: you make one move, it creates two threats, and your opponent only gets one move to answer.

How it looks

A piece moves to a square from which it strikes in two directions. A target is not only a piece but also a square — for example, the square a mate will come from next move. So attacking a rook while threatening mate is also a double attack: both would have to be answered, and that is impossible.

How to spot it

After a move, ask yourself: what is this piece looking at now? One target, or two? And the other way round — when your opponent moves, check whether their piece suddenly points in two directions.

Watch the queen especially closely. She strikes in every direction, so double attacks come from her most often.

Often confused with

A fork: a fork is also a double attack, but only by a knight or a pawn. If a queen, rook or bishop does it, it is not called a fork.

People also sometimes call two threats from two different pieces a double attack. That is wrong: the strike must come from one piece. If two pieces created the threats, it is more likely a discovered attack.