Week 10 — Discovered Attacks

Age 8–10Beginner60 minutesWeek 10

Goal: recognize discovered attacks, prioritize forcing blocker moves, and calculate the newly opened line.

What is a discovered attack?

A discovered attack happens when one of your pieces moves away and reveals an attack from a rook, bishop, or queen behind it. Think of the front piece as a curtain: when the curtain moves, the hidden piece suddenly attacks.

If the hidden attack is against the king, it is a discovered check. If the moving piece also gives check, both pieces may check at once — a double check.

Recognition routine: L-B-M-T

Line → Blocker → Move → Two jobs

Line: Do I have a rook, bishop, or queen lined up with an enemy target?
Blocker: Is one of my own pieces sitting in the way?
Move: Can the blocker move with check, a capture, or another threat?
Two jobs: After it moves, what does the hidden piece attack, and what does the moving piece do?

Worked visual examples

Start with the orange arrow for the moving blocker, then follow the newly opened line.

White to move

Example 1. Step aside and uncover the rook

1. Be5+!

Hidden attacker: Rook on d1

Target(s): Black queen on d8 (while the bishop checks the king)

The bishop leaves the d-file with check. Black must answer the check, so the rook gets the next move against the queen.

Original teaching diagram for this lesson; not copied from an external diagram.

White to move

Example 2. Check with the moving bishop

1. Bd5+!

Hidden attacker: Rook on e1

Target(s): Black queen on e8

The bishop moves off the e-file and checks from d5. The rook is suddenly looking straight at the queen.

Original teaching diagram for this lesson; not copied from an external diagram.

White to move

Example 3. A pawn can be the blocker too

1. b6+!

Hidden attacker: Queen on a4

Target(s): Black king on e8; the pawn can take the rook on c7 next

The pawn was sitting on the queen’s diagonal. Moving it to b6 opens a4–e8, so the queen gives discovered check.

Original teaching diagram for this lesson; not copied from an external diagram.

Black to move

Example 4. Black uncovers a rook attack

1... Bxg2+!

Hidden attacker: Rook on c8

Target(s): White queen on c1

The bishop leaves the c-file by capturing on g2 with check. Once the king answers, the rook can take the queen on c1.

Original teaching diagram for this lesson; not copied from an external diagram.

White to move

Example 5. The moving piece can win something too

1. Nxc5!

Hidden attacker: Rook on a1

Target(s): Queen on a8; the knight also captures the rook on c5

One move does two jobs: the knight wins a rook and steps off the a-file, uncovering the rook’s attack on the queen.

Original teaching diagram for this lesson; not copied from an external diagram.

White to move

Example 6. Not every discovery has to be check

1. Nc6!

Hidden attacker: Bishop on b2

Target(s): Black queen on g7

The knight leaves the b2–g7 diagonal. The bishop attacks the queen, so White gains a useful tempo.

Original teaching diagram for this lesson; not copied from an external diagram.

White to move

Example 7. Double check: both pieces check

1. Bc6++!

Hidden attacker: Rook on e1 and bishop on c6

Target(s): Black king on e8

The bishop moves off the e-file and still checks the king from c6. The rook also gives check. In double check, the king must move.

Original teaching diagram for this lesson; not copied from an external diagram.

White to move

Example 8. Clear a diagonal with a pawn move

1. d4!

Hidden attacker: Bishop on c2

Target(s): Black queen on h7

The pawn leaves d3, so the bishop’s diagonal c2–h7 becomes open. The queen is suddenly attacked.

Original teaching diagram for this lesson; not copied from an external diagram.

White to move

Example 9. Use check to win the hidden target

1. Bf7+!

Hidden attacker: Rook on h1

Target(s): Black queen on h8

The bishop checks from f7 and clears the h-file. Black must answer the check before saving the queen.

Original teaching diagram for this lesson; not copied from an external diagram.

White to move

Example 10. The hidden attacker can be the queen

1. Bf2+!

Hidden attacker: Queen on a1

Target(s): Black king on h8

The bishop steps away from the a1–h8 diagonal. The queen has not moved, but it suddenly gives check.

Original teaching diagram for this lesson; not copied from an external diagram.

Discovered-attack checklist

Look behind your own pieces for a rook, bishop, or queen.
Trace the hidden line all the way to an enemy king, queen, rook, or loose piece.
Ask whether the blocker can move with check first.
If there is no check, look for a capture or a second threat.
Before playing, make sure the line is truly open after the blocker moves.

Exercises — exactly 10 puzzles

Black to move · Very easy

Puzzle 1

Find the best move. Use L-B-M-T: line, blocker, move, two jobs.

Hint: The rook on f6 can move with check. What diagonal opens for the queen on e7?

Answer: 1...Rxf1+ 2.Kxf1 Qxg5

The rook leaves f6 with check and removes White’s rook. Once f6 is clear, the queen on e7 sees the knight on g5 and wins it.

Source: ChessGo Easiest PDF — Puzzle 1

White to move · Very easy

Puzzle 2

Find the best move. Use L-B-M-T: line, blocker, move, two jobs.

Hint: Can the knight give check and step off the d-file at the same time?

Answer: 1.Nxc6+ Rxc6 2.Rxd8+

Nxc6+ checks the king and clears the d-file. Black’s rook captures the knight, but that also leaves d8 open for White’s rook.

Source: ChessGo Easiest PDF — Puzzle 2

Black to move · Very easy

Puzzle 3

Find the best move. Use L-B-M-T: line, blocker, move, two jobs.

Hint: Can the bishop give check while moving away from the queen’s d-file?

Answer: 1...Bxh2+ 2.Kxh2 Qxd1

Bxh2+ forces the king to react and clears d6. The black queen then has an open d-file to White’s queen on d1.

Source: ChessGo Easiest PDF — Puzzle 3

White to move · Beginner

Puzzle 4

Find the best move. Use L-B-M-T: line, blocker, move, two jobs.

Hint: Your g-pawn is blocking the queen’s diagonal to the king. Can the pawn move with tempo?

Answer: 1.g6+ Kd7 2.gxf7

g6+ uncovers the queen’s diagonal h4–e7. While Black deals with check, the pawn is ready to capture the rook on f7.

Source: ChessGo Easiest PDF — Puzzle 4

White to move · Beginner

Puzzle 5

Find the best move. Use L-B-M-T: line, blocker, move, two jobs.

Hint: Move the bishop with check, then look straight up the e-file.

Answer: 1.Bh7+ Kh8 2.Rxe8

Bh7+ checks the king and clears e4. The rook on e1 can now see the rook on e8 and wins it after the king moves.

Source: ChessGo Easiest PDF — Puzzle 5

White to move · Beginner

Puzzle 6

Find the best move. Use L-B-M-T: line, blocker, move, two jobs.

Hint: Which white piece is blocking the queen’s diagonal from e2 to g4?

Answer: 1.Nxe5 Bxe5 2.Qxg4

The knight leaves f3 and captures on e5, uncovering Qe2–g4. After Black recaptures the knight, White takes the bishop on g4.

Source: ChessGo Easiest PDF — Puzzle 6

Black to move · Beginner

Puzzle 7

Find the best move. Use L-B-M-T: line, blocker, move, two jobs.

Hint: Black is in check from the queen on a8. Can the rook on f2 block that check while also clearing the queen’s diagonal to g1?

Answer: 1...Rf8#

Rf8 blocks White’s queen check along the 8th rank and simultaneously clears the queen’s diagonal e3–f2–g1. The rook on f8 also controls f1; White’s own pieces box in the other king squares, so it is mate.

Source: ChessGo Easiest PDF — Puzzle 7

White to move · Beginner+

Puzzle 8

Find the best move. Use L-B-M-T: line, blocker, move, two jobs.

Hint: A knight check can clear the c-file for your rook. Which capture does that?

Answer: 1.Nxe7+ Rxe7 2.Rxc8+

Nxe7+ checks the king and moves the knight off c6. After the rook recaptures on e7, White’s c1-rook has a clear file to the rook on c8.

Source: ChessGo Easiest PDF — Puzzle 8

Black to move · Beginner+

Puzzle 9

Find the best move. Use L-B-M-T: line, blocker, move, two jobs.

Hint: Can the bishop move with check and clear the c-file at the same time?

Answer: 1...Bxf2+ 2.Rxf2 Rxc4

Bxf2+ pulls the bishop off c5 with check. Once White responds, the rook on c8 has a clear line to the white queen on c4.

Source: ChessGo Easiest PDF — Puzzle 9

White to move · Beginner+

Puzzle 10

Find the best move. Use L-B-M-T: line, blocker, move, two jobs.

Hint: Move the knight with check so the rook on d1 can see the rook on d4.

Answer: 1.Ne5+ Ke6 2.Rxd4

Ne5+ checks the king and clears d3. The rook on d1 now attacks the rook on d4; after the king moves, White wins that rook.

Source: Lichess Open Puzzle data (puzzle CEw9w, rating 844) — mirrored in ardauzunoglu/lichess-subset

Quick review / exit questions

What has to move for a discovered attack to appear?
Which three long-range pieces can become the hidden attacker?
Why is a discovered check especially useful?
What should the moving blocker try to do besides simply getting out of the way?

60-minute lesson plan

Time	Activity	Coach focus
0–6 min	Review line pieces	Rook files/ranks, bishop diagonals, queen lines.
6–14 min	Teach the definition + L-B-M-T	Use Examples 1–3. Ask “what is blocking the line?”
14–30 min	Worked examples 4–7	Prioritize checks and explain why forcing moves matter.
30–38 min	Guided recognition with Examples 8–10	Students name hidden attacker, blocker, target before seeing the move.
38–52 min	Exercises 1–7	Students solve independently; use hints only after a real attempt.
52–57 min	Exercises 8–10 / mini-game	Finish the set or play a short position-search game: “find one hidden line each move.”
57–60 min	Exit questions	One student explains L-B-M-T in their own words.

Coaching guidance

Teaching sentence: “Move the curtain, wake up the piece behind it.” First ask for the hidden attacker and target; only then ask for the best blocker move. For this age group, reward correct pattern recognition even before exact calculation.

Sources and provenance

ChessGo.In — “Discovered Attack Puzzles”, Easiest difficulty PDF. https://www.chessgo.in/pdf/Discovered_Attack_puzzles_Easiest_difficulty_ChessGo.in.pdf. Exercises 1–9: redrawn from source positions; side to move and answer sequence preserved and chess-validated.
ChessGo.In — “Discovered Attack Puzzles”. https://www.chessgo.in/puzzles/discovered-attack. Preferred puzzle-source page and topic framing.
Lichess Open Puzzle data — puzzle CEw9w (rating 844, theme: discoveredAttack). Public dataset record mirrored by ardauzunoglu/lichess-subset. Exercise 10: position after the setup move, with principal variation preserved.
Chess.com — “Discovered Attack - Chess Terms”. https://www.chess.com/terms/discovered-attack-chess. Concept definition adapted and paraphrased.
Lichess Practice — “Discovered Attacks”. Lichess practice page. Concept framing adapted: the moving piece can create a second threat while the hidden piece is revealed.
Project file — chess_board_visual_reference.html. Canonical SVG geometry, palette, glyph treatment, coordinates, highlighting, arrows, orientation, and print size used throughout this package.

All boards in this package are newly rendered as inline SVG. No source screenshots, external piece images, external fonts, or CDN board libraries are embedded.