This page is an extension of 56 Tactical Patterns That All Chess Players Should Know.
A discovered attack occurs when one piece moves out of the way and reveals an attack from another piece behind it. Because two threats can often be created with a single move, discovered attacks are among the most powerful tactical weapons in chess.
Here are three examples of Discovered Attacks.
Example #1
1. Bxh7+ followed by 2. Qxd4
Simple example of a typical Discovered Attack.
Example #2
1… Qh4 2. h3 Nf2+
A Discovered Attack on White’s queen.
Example #3
1. Bd7! Qxd7 2. Rxg6+
White uses the idea of a Discovered Attack to save the pinned rook.