Discovered attack: bishop to d5 (f3·2)
li-09MBunaming tag (square·N)The tactical motive
Discovered attack: one piece steps aside, unleashing another's attack.
Difficulty 2024 ShuffleRating — expert level — few solve it at first try.
White to move — find the best continuation
Position on the board
White: king g1, queen d4, rook d1 f1, bishop f3, knight c3, pawn a2 g2 h2 b3 e5.
Black: king g8, queen b6, rook f4 e8, bishop g6, knight c5, pawn d5 c6 a7 g7 h7.
11 white and 11 black pieces are on the board; the puzzle position arises after move 23.
Solution & explanation
Main line
23. Bxd5+ cxd5 24. Rxf4 Ne6 25. Qxb6
Why it works
- Great move! bishop to d5 keeps the pressure (+3.5).
- Well found: rook to f4 (+3.7).
- Strong! queen to b6 is the sharp choice (+3.8).
- You win a piece — the queen.
- If instead cxd5, then Rxf4 and you win the rook.
Types in this puzzle
Discovered attack
A piece steps aside and opens a second attack from the piece behind it.
A discovered attack works like a curtain: one piece steps off the line and unveils the long-range piece behind it. The beauty is that the moving piece can create a second threat of its own — two attacks in one move. Look for your stacked pairs: a bishop or rook behind a knight or pawn, aimed through them at something valuable. Send the front piece to the most aggressive square — a discovery without a second threat wastes half its power.
Provenance
Derived from the Lichess puzzle database (CC0).
Verified by Stockfish at depth 20+.
Solution forcedness confirmed (verified).
Pack 014
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