Double Attack
A double attack is a tactic where a single piece attacks two or more enemy pieces simultaneously, forcing the opponent to choose which piece to save.
Types of Double Attacks
Fork
A knight, pawn, or other piece attacks two pieces at once.
Royal Fork
A knight attacks both the king and queen simultaneously.
Family Fork
A knight attacks king, queen, and rook at the same time.
Common Pieces for Double Attacks
- Knights: Excel at forking due to their unique movement
- Pawns: Can fork pieces on adjacent diagonals
- Queens: Can attack on multiple lines simultaneously
- Bishops: Attack along diagonals
- Rooks: Attack along ranks and files
Creating Double Attacks
- Look for undefended or poorly defended pieces
- Position your pieces to attack multiple targets
- Calculate if your attacking piece is safe
- Consider the opponent's defensive resources
Defending Against Double Attacks
- Keep pieces protected
- Maintain piece coordination
- Look ahead for fork opportunities
- Create counter-threats
Practice Tips
- Scan for undefended pieces
- Look for knight fork patterns
- Practice calculating forcing sequences
- Study double attack puzzles
Double attacks are fundamental tactics that every chess player must master.
Related tactics: fork-tactics, discovered-attack, pin-tactics