Forks
One piece attacking two — the most common way to win material.
Train forks →Pins
Freeze a piece against something more valuable behind it.
Train pins →Skewers
The reverse pin — force the valuable piece to move and win what's behind it.
Train skewers →Discovered Attacks
Move one piece to unleash another.
Train discovered attacks →Sacrifices
Give up material now for a decisive return.
Train sacrifices →Deflection
Lure a defender away from its post.
Train deflection →Back-Rank Mates
Punish the king trapped behind its own pawns.
Train back-rank mates →Mate in 2
Two-move forced checkmates.
Train mate in 2 →Mate in 3
Three-move forced checkmates.
Train mate in 3 →Smothered Mate
The knight mate against a king hemmed in by its own pieces.
Train smothered mate →Hanging Pieces
Spot the undefended piece and take it.
Train hanging pieces →Double Check
Two attackers, one king, no blocking allowed.
Train double check →Zugzwang
When every move makes it worse.
Train zugzwang →Endgame Tactics
Tactics with few pieces, where precision decides.
Train endgame tactics →Promotion
Push the passed pawn home.
Train promotion →Attraction
Drag the king or a key piece to a fatal square.
Train attraction →Zwischenzug
The in-between move that flips the evaluation.
Train zwischenzug →Defensive Tactics
Find the only move that holds.
Train defensive tactics →Removing the Defender
Take out the piece that guards the target, then strike.
Train removing the defender →X-Ray Attacks
Attack straight through one piece to the target behind it.
Train x-ray attacks →Clearance
Vacate a square or line — even by sacrifice — for another piece.
Train clearance →Interference
Cut the line between a defender and what it guards.
Train interference →Trapped Pieces
Hunt down a piece that has no safe square left.
Train trapped pieces →Mate in 1
Spot the move that ends it immediately.
Train mate in 1 →Kingside Attack
Break open the castled king and hunt it down.
Train kingside attack →Queenside Attack
Strike where the king isn't — the minority attack and beyond.
Train queenside attack →Exposed King
Punish a king stripped of its cover.
Train exposed king →