The First 6 Chess Tactics to Learn After the Rules: Forks, Pins, Skewers

In chess, a 'tactic' is a short, concrete sequence used to seek material, checkmate, or a decisive initiative. For a player who has just learned the rules, basic tactics are a useful starting point because they make it easier to explain why material was lost. At that stage, don't worry about flashy plays. Focus on not missing when your opponent makes a mistake.

Why Learn Tactics First?

Beginner games are often decided by one or two tactical mistakes. Knowing the basic patterns helps you notice an opponent's error and see when your own piece is in danger. Opening principles and basic endgames matter too, but tactics are a practical place to start after the rules.

Before Every Move: A Quick Check

Before learning patterns, build one simple habit.

Check for checks, captures, and threats. Can I give a check? Can I take a piece for free? Is my opponent threatening something? Repeating this scan makes loose pieces and one-move threats easier to notice.

A quick scan of these three makes immediate tactical mistakes easier to catch.

Also scan for undefended pieces, yours and your opponent's. An unprotected piece is a common tactical target.

The Tactical Patterns You Need to Know

1. Fork

One piece attacks two or more enemy pieces at the same time. A fork often wins material because answering every threat at once is difficult, but counterplay or a tactical defense can sometimes save both targets. (Deep guide: Fork)

Example: the White knight moves from e2 to Nd4, attacking the queen on c6 and the rook on f5 simultaneously. The queen escapes, and White captures the rook.

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2. Pin

An enemy piece is constrained because moving would expose its king or a more important target on the same line. If the king is behind it, opening that line is illegal. (Deep guide: Pin)

Example: White's bishop on b5 points toward the king on e8, with Black's knight on d7 in between. While the king remains on e8, moving the knight off the line would expose check and is illegal. The pin itself does not win the knight automatically; the king may move and break the pin.

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3. Skewer

The reverse of a pin. A valuable piece is attacked and forced to move, exposing a piece behind it. (Deep guide: Skewer)

Example: the White rook on a1 plays Ra8+, checking the Black king along the back rank. Once the king steps off the rank, White captures the rook on h8.

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4. Discovered Attack

You move one piece out of the way, revealing an attack from another piece behind it. (Deep guide: Discovered Attack)

Example: White knight on d4, White rook on d1, Black queen on d8. The knight moves Nf5, opening the d-file so the rook now attacks the Black queen. Whether the queen is actually won depends on Black's reply and any extra threat the knight creates.

Try it yourself: the Petrov trap. Use the controls to step through this short game. After 4...Nf6, White plays 5.Nc6+: moving the knight uncovers a discovered check from the queen on e2 along the now-open e-file. The same knight also attacks the Black queen, and no reply to the check saves it, so White wins the queen for the knight.

No capturesMaterial equal

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No capturesMaterial equal

Start(0/12)

Pick a move, or step through with the arrow keys.

Moves

1.e4e5

2.Nf3Nf6

3.Nxe5Nxe4

4.Qe2Nf6

5.Nc6+Qe7

6.Nxe7Bxe7

5. Sacrifice

Deliberately giving up material for enough compensation, such as checkmate, material recovery, or a lasting attack. The forcing line after the sacrifice still has to work.

Example: in the Greek Gift sacrifice, White plays Bxh7+ to lure the king to h7, then attacks with Ng5+ and Qh5. It works only when Black's defenders cannot cover in time and White's queen can join the attack; Bxh7+ by itself does not guarantee mate.

6. Removing the Defender

You remove a piece that protects an important target or square. Then check whether the target can actually be taken and whether the opponent has an in-between move or recapture.

Example: suppose Black's rook on e8 is defended only by the knight on f6, and White has a bishop on g5 and a rook on e1 facing it on the open e-file. After Bxf6 gxf6, e8 has no defender left and Rxe8+ wins the rook. The concrete position must satisfy those conditions: check what recaptures, whether the recapturing piece covers the target itself, and whether Black has an in-between move.

How to Practice

Don't rush. When solving puzzles, think about how your opponent might respond before you make a move.

Use focused and mixed practice for different jobs. A batch of one pattern can make its common features easier to see at first. Once it is familiar, mix several themes and test whether you can identify the tactic without being told its name.

Connect it to real games. Apply what you learn in actual games. A time control of 15 minutes or longer gives you room to run the checks, captures, and threats scan on each move. Fast games can still be enjoyable, but playing only fast games without review makes a new thinking habit hard to test.

Ten to fifteen minutes a day is an approachable starting amount, not an evidence-based threshold or a promised timeline. Track accuracy and missed themes for a month, then judge what changed.

References

• Lichess Puzzle Database - Open puzzle dataset (CC0).
• Lichess Puzzle Themes - Tactical motif taxonomy.