Tactic Encyclopedia
The idea behind each tactic, explained
What Are Tactical Patterns
A tactic is a short, forcing sequence that wins material or leads to checkmate. Tactics come in recurring shapes such as forks, pins, and skewers, so you can learn to recognize them. Each guide below covers one pattern, starting from a plain definition. Depending on the guide, you'll also find verified diagrams, real-game examples, common mistakes, and a checklist.
What order to read them in
The guides use the same four stages as training. Stage 1 covers basic patterns such as fork, pin, and back-rank mate. In stage 2 (skewer, discovered attack, sacrifice) the basic patterns start to combine. Stage 3 adds mate patterns and in-between moves, and stage 4 covers ideas that decide endgames, such as zugzwang. You don't have to read them in order. You can start with the tactics you miss in your own games. Training also tracks accuracy for each tactic, so it can show you which ones are weak.
Not sure where to start
Of the 212,300 puzzles in our database, fork accounts for 8.4% (17,829) and sacrifice for 8.2% (17,332). Both are basics you meet at every level. If you'd rather start with tactics that lean toward beginner ratings, smothered mate (83% below 1200) and back-rank mate (79% below 1200) are candidates. At the other end, 96.7% of castling puzzles sit above 1900. The rule is simple, so the more likely reason is that players rarely consider castling as a candidate. These shares describe how this puzzle set is tagged, not how often a pattern comes up in games.
Each bar splits a tactic's puzzles by puzzle rating. It shows how this puzzle set is tagged, not how often the pattern comes up in games.
Stage 1 - Beginner
Fork
One piece attacks two or more enemy pieces at once
17,829 puzzles
24% under 1200 · 25% at 1900+
Pin
Moving a piece would expose its king or another valuable piece behind it
13,506 puzzles
13% under 1200 · 34% at 1900+
Hanging Piece
Capture an undefended or insufficiently defended piece
7,801 puzzles
28% under 1200 · 30% at 1900+
Mate in 1
Checkmate in one move
23,166 puzzles
82% under 1200 · 0% at 1900+
Back Rank Mate
Checkmate on the 1st/8th rank. The most-tagged named mate pattern in this site's puzzle set
3,458 puzzles
79% under 1200 · 2% at 1900+
Remove the Defender
Capture the key defensive piece to collapse the defense
1,809 puzzles
8% under 1200 · 33% at 1900+
Stage 2 - Novice
Skewer
Attack a high-value piece to hit the piece behind it (a pin in reverse)
5,183 puzzles
36% under 1200 · 22% at 1900+
Discovered Attack
Move a piece to reveal an attack from the piece behind
12,694 puzzles
23% under 1200 · 30% at 1900+
Discovered Check
Move a piece to reveal a check from the piece behind
4,933 puzzles
15% under 1200 · 42% at 1900+
Double Check
Two pieces give check at once. Only a king move is legal
1,389 puzzles
15% under 1200 · 41% at 1900+
Sacrifice
Give up material for a greater advantage
17,332 puzzles
14% under 1200 · 39% at 1900+
Exposed King
Attack an exposed king
7,943 puzzles
9% under 1200 · 50% at 1900+
Advanced Pawn
Make use of a pawn close to promotion
14,144 puzzles
rating split not measured
Kingside Attack
Attack the king castled on the kingside
14,749 puzzles
33% under 1200 · 23% at 1900+
Deflection
Draw a defender away from the piece or square it protects
11,486 puzzles
20% under 1200 · 33% at 1900+
Attraction
Force an enemy piece onto a bad square
10,059 puzzles
7% under 1200 · 40% at 1900+
Mate in 2
Checkmate in two moves. Train 2-move calculation
25,089 puzzles
54% under 1200 · 6% at 1900+
Trapped Piece
Win a piece that cannot escape capture
3,187 puzzles
4% under 1200 · 38% at 1900+
Promotion
Push a pawn to the last rank and promote it
5,568 puzzles
23% under 1200 · 36% at 1900+
En Passant
Capture an enemy pawn that has just moved two squares to land beside yours (en passant)
346 puzzles
0% under 1200 · 67% at 1900+
Stage 3 - Intermediate
Clearance
Clear a square or line for a follow-up tactic
3,373 puzzles
9% under 1200 · 51% at 1900+
Intermezzo
An unexpected in-between move (Zwischenzug)
3,090 puzzles
rating split not measured
Defensive Move
A precise defensive move that gets you out of danger
13,336 puzzles
rating split not measured
Queenside Attack
Attack the king castled on the queenside
3,515 puzzles
rating split not measured
Attacking f2/f7
Target f2 or f7, defended only by the king in the starting position
1,388 puzzles
48% under 1200 · 17% at 1900+
Interference
Block the connection between enemy pieces
1,010 puzzles
rating split not measured
X-Ray Attack
Pressure on a target beyond a blocker; the line opens when the blocker leaves
800 puzzles
25% under 1200 · 24% at 1900+
Mate in 3
Checkmate in three moves. Train 3-move calculation
7,359 puzzles
32% under 1200 · 20% at 1900+
Pillsbury's Mate
A rook gives mate while a bishop covers escape squares
1,979 puzzles
54% under 1200 · 11% at 1900+
Opera Mate
A bishop and rook mate together. Named after Morphy's Opera Game
2,025 puzzles
56% under 1200 · 11% at 1900+
Smothered Mate
A knight mates a king hemmed in by its own pieces
617 puzzles
83% under 1200 · 1% at 1900+
Corner Mate
A knight gives mate while a rook or queen confines the king to a corner
443 puzzles
53% under 1200 · 13% at 1900+
Morphy's Mate
A bishop gives mate while a rook traps the king
314 puzzles
49% under 1200 · 13% at 1900+
Anastasia's Mate
A knight and rook trap the king on the edge of the board
198 puzzles
48% under 1200 · 1% at 1900+
Arabian Mate
A knight and rook mate the king in the corner
217 puzzles
61% under 1200 · 4% at 1900+
Blind Swine Mate
Two rooks on the 7th rank deliver mate
235 puzzles
56% under 1200 · 12% at 1900+
Castling
Use castling for tactical purposes
61 puzzles
0% under 1200 · 97% at 1900+
Boden's Mate
Two bishops crisscross to deliver mate
56 puzzles
86% under 1200 · 2% at 1900+
Stage 4 - Advanced
Quiet Move
A move without check, capture or an immediate capture threat that prepares a later threat
9,603 puzzles
rating split not measured
Zugzwang
Every available move makes the position worse. A key endgame concept
2,670 puzzles
8% under 1200 · 63% at 1900+
Mate in 4
Checkmate in four moves
1,378 puzzles
4% under 1200 · 49% at 1900+
Mate in 5+
Checkmate in five or more moves
294 puzzles
rating split not measured
Underpromotion
Promote to a piece other than a queen (for example, a knight)
32 puzzles
13% under 1200 · 75% at 1900+
Kill Box Mate
A rook gives mate next to the king, supported by a queen covering escape squares
209 puzzles
31% under 1200 · 17% at 1900+
Triangle Mate
A queen and rook form a triangle for mate
340 puzzles
50% under 1200 · 9% at 1900+
Dovetail Mate
A protected queen gives diagonal mate while the king's own pieces block its rear escapes
147 puzzles
44% under 1200 · 7% at 1900+
Hook Mate
A knight, rook, and pawn combine to mate
379 puzzles
53% under 1200 · 8% at 1900+
Double Bishop Mate
Two bishops on adjacent diagonals deliver mate
64 puzzles
94% under 1200 · 2% at 1900+
Epaulette Mate
Mate against a king boxed in on both sides by its own pieces
772 puzzles
58% under 1200 · 8% at 1900+
Swallow's Tail Mate
A queen mates from just in front of the king while the king's own pieces form a V behind it
331 puzzles
54% under 1200 · 15% at 1900+
Vukovic Mate
Rook and knight mate with help from a third piece
101 puzzles
15% under 1200 · 28% at 1900+
Balestra Mate
Queen covers escape squares while a bishop delivers mate
62 puzzles
26% under 1200 · 15% at 1900+
Collinear Move
Move along the attack line between two opposing pieces without capturing the other
305 puzzles
rating split not measured
Across 212,300 puzzles · measured 2026-07-23 - 2026-09-29
How to Use These Guides
Read one pattern at a time instead of everything at once. Once a guide makes the idea clear, solve the same pattern in different positions. That way you remember the structure, not one particular board. Every chess example here has had its legality and move sequence checked, and comes from a real game wherever possible.
Train These Patterns on Puzzles
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