Secrets the top players use
These Chess tactics and tricks will help you win material, spot checkmates and trap your opponents in positions they can't escape.
Essential tips
- Knight fork: place the Knight to attack King and Queen simultaneously — forces losing the Queen
- Skewer: attack a valuable piece that must move, exposing a less-valuable piece behind it
- Discovered attack: move one piece to reveal an attack from another piece behind it
- Scholar's Mate: checkmate in 4 moves — Qh5 + Bc4 targeting f7 — watch for this and how to stop it
- Back rank mate: use a Rook or Queen on the 1st/8th rank when the King is trapped behind pawns
- Pawn promotion race: push a passed pawn (one with no opponent pawns blocking it) to promote to a Queen
🔑 The secret the best players use
Before moving, use the 'STOP' method: Stop, Think tactically, consider Options, Plan ahead. Most blunders happen when players move quickly without checking if their piece is hanging after the move.
Practice on BoardGame Battles — Free
BoardGame Battles has Chess with AI at 3 difficulty levels — perfect for practicing these techniques before facing real players online. Available on Web, Android and iOS. No download required.
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