Lesson 11 Discovered Attacks and Pins

The discovered attack can be a damaging move to any player on the receiving end. A discovered attack occurs when a man is moved in which an attack is revealed by another piece. Diagram 68 and 69 show this in a most painful way for Black.

Diagram 68

This position occurs after the following moves:

    White                              Black

1. e4  (e2-e4)                      e5 (e7-e5)

2. Nf3 (g1-f3)              Nf6 (g8-f6)

3. Nxe5 (f3xe5)              Nxe4 (f6-e4)

4. Qd2 (d1-e2)              Nf6 (e4-f6)

  Diagram 69

5. Nc6 (e5-c6+)

Black’s King is in check by the Queen. The Black Queen is being attacked by the White Knight. If Black were to move his Queen in between his King and White’s Queen with Qe7 (d8-e7), White would capture Black’s Queen with his Knight. If Black were to play Be7 (f8-e7), White still captures the Queen with his Knight.

   Diagram 70      Diagram 71 

Black’s Queen is ripe for the picking by White. To capture the Queen, White will capture the "h" Pawn with check, and then capture the queen with the Rook. Follow the moves with your Chess set.

1. Bxh7+ (e4xh7+) Kxh7 (g8xh7)

2. Rxe7 (e1xe7)

See Diagram 71. Now, the house is falling down on Black. White owns the "e" file and the seventh rank with his Rook. He is also up a Queen for a Pawn.

  Diagram 72  Diagram 73  

Diagram 72 shows a discovered attack when White plays Rxd8 (d4xd8). White’s Bishop is uncovered and attacking the King on the a1-h8 diagonal with check. In Diagram 73, the Black Knight cannot capture the Rook because of the check coming from the Bishop. Diagram 74 shows a discovered attack with a simple Pawn move. After e5 (e4-e5). The Black King is in check. The Black King must move. After Kg8 (h7-g8), White plays Pxd6 (e5xd6).

  Diagram 74  Diagram 75  

                                                                                                                                   The position after White captures Black’s Queen (Pxd6).

The Pin

The pin can also be a difficult animal to deal with. There are two types of pins. The absolute pin is where a piece cannot move because the King would then be attacked. A relative pin occurs when a piece is pinned against a piece of higher value, but not against the King.

  Diagram 76  Diagram 77

Diagram 76 shows an absolute pin. The Black Queen cannot move because the Rook would then be attacking her King. And, Black cannot save her by placing another piece in front of her. Diagram 77 demonstrates the relative pin. Notice the Black King is not involved with this pin. The Bishop attacks the Knight with the move Bf5 (d3-f5). If he moves, White will then capture the Rook. Now, Black must decide, which piece is worth more to him.

  Diagram 78

Even the Queen can get into the act of pinning. White was threatening checkmate until the Queen ended up on c2.