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Worksheet: Discovered Attacks

Topic: middlegame | Level: 2 | Week 6

A discovered attack happens when moving one piece out of the way reveals an attack from a different piece behind it.

Why This Matters

  • Sometimes a piece is quietly blocking one of your own pieces from attacking something powerful.
  • Moving the blocking piece away can "discover" a check or attack from the piece behind it.
  • The strongest discovered attacks let the moving piece do something useful too, like capture or fork, while the revealed piece checks the king.

Objectives

  • Define a discovered attack and a discovered check.
  • Notice when a friendly piece is blocking another piece's line of attack.
  • Find the move that unmasks a discovered check.

Practice Tasks

  1. Explain why a discovered check can be more dangerous than a normal check.
  2. In the mini-game position, name a friendly piece that is blocking another one of your pieces.
  3. Solve the 3 discovered-attack puzzles and write which piece delivered the hidden check each time.

Board Walkthrough

Follow the lesson one board at a time. The teacher answer key includes the move list.

Board 1
Board 2
Board 3
Board 4
Board 5
Board 6
Board 7
Board 8
Board 9

Practice Positions

Solve each position on paper first. Answers live only in the separate teacher/parent key.

Practice 1

The knight is blocking the rook's file. Move the knight so the rook delivers check.

Practice 2

The knight is blocking the bishop's diagonal. Move the knight so the bishop delivers check.

Practice 3

The bishop is blocking the queen's diagonal. Move the bishop so the queen delivers check.

Mini-Game

Play this position with a partner. Before moving any piece, check whether it is blocking one of your other pieces from attacking something valuable.

Answer Key

Discovered Attacks

Teacher/parent key for Worksheet: Discovered Attacks.

Worksheet Answers

  1. Prompt: Explain why a discovered check can be more dangerous than a normal check.

    The moving piece is free to do something else (capture, fork, or attack) while the revealed piece delivers check at the same time.

  2. Prompt: In the mini-game position, name a friendly piece that is blocking another one of your pieces.

    Answers will vary based on the position reached.

  3. Prompt: Solve the 3 discovered-attack puzzles and write which piece delivered the hidden check each time.

    Position 1: rook. Position 2: bishop. Position 3: queen.

Model Line

  1. e4
  2. c6
  3. d4
  4. d5
  5. Nc3
  6. dxe4
  7. Nxe4
  8. Nd7

Practice Position Solutions

Discovered Attacks — Practice 1

The knight is blocking the rook's file. Move the knight so the rook delivers check.

Solution: Nc3+

Once the knight steps off the a-file, the rook on a1 has a clear line straight to the black king on a8 - a discovered check from the rook, not the knight.

Discovered Attacks — Practice 2

The knight is blocking the bishop's diagonal. Move the knight so the bishop delivers check.

Solution: Nd3+

Moving the knight off the a2-h8 diagonal uncovers the bishop's attack on the black king - a discovered check.

Discovered Attacks — Practice 3

The bishop is blocking the queen's diagonal. Move the bishop so the queen delivers check.

Solution: Bc5+

Moving the bishop off the a1-h8 diagonal uncovers the queen's attack on the black king - a discovered check.