A double attack threatens two enemy pieces or squares with a single move. The opponent can usually deal with only one of the two threats: the other piece falls.

An example: the queen strikes twice

After 3.Qxe5+, the white queen checks the king while simultaneously attacking the rook on h8 along the diagonal.

After 2…g6, Black unwittingly opens the h8-a1 diagonal by clearing the g7 square. White’s queen then captures the e5 pawn with check on the e-file, while at the same time attacking the rook on h8 along the diagonal. The king must deal with the check first: the rook can no longer be saved.

Double attack and the fork

The term “fork” describes the best-known kind of double attack: a single piece (often a knight) touching two targets at once. A double attack is the broader concept: it covers any situation where one move creates two threats, whether that’s a single piece attacking two targets, or a move that combines an attack with another kind of threat (a check plus a material gain, as in the example above).

How to create or avoid a double attack

To create a double attack, look for moves that touch two targets at once: a queen or knight move that attacks a piece while also giving check is usually the most rewarding, since the opponent doesn’t have time to save the other threatened piece.

To protect yourself, keep your pieces defended by each other and avoid leaving two pieces on squares reachable by the same enemy move. Before every move, check whether you’re opening a line or diagonal that would let your opponent hit two targets at once, like the h8-a1 diagonal in the example above, opened carelessly by 2…g6.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between a double attack and a fork?

A fork is a specific kind of double attack, where a single piece attacks two targets at once. A double attack is the general concept: it also includes moves that combine an attack with another kind of threat, such as a check.

Which pieces produce the most double attacks?

The queen and the knight are the champions of the double attack: the queen thanks to her mobility in every direction, the knight because its landing squares are hard to anticipate and often poorly defended.

How do you avoid falling for a double attack?

The most effective habit is checking, before every move, whether you’re placing two pieces on squares reachable by the same enemy move, especially the queen and knight, which cover the most squares of all.