Discovered attack
Moving one piece to unveil an attack from a piece behind it.
The moving piece and the revealed attacker both make threats, so the opponent often cannot deal with both. When the unveiled line gives check, it becomes a discovered check — and because the moving piece is free to grab anything while the opponent must answer the check, it is one of the most powerful tactics in chess.
The strongest form is the double check, where the moved piece also gives check: the only legal reply is a king move.
A discovered check lets the front piece capture a queen or rook 'for free' because the opponent has to respond to the check first.
Forgetting that your opponent's bishop or rook is sitting behind their own knight — that knight can leap away with check and win something on its way.
Related terms
See Discovered attack in your own games
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