Learn › Lessons › Middlegame and tactics › Tactics

Double check

Two pieces give check at once: the king must run.

Advanced · Tactics · 18 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine. With games of Arjun Erigaisi, Vaishali R, Harika Dronavalli, Vidit Gujrathi, Magnus Carlsen, Bobby Fischer.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♚︎♝︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♚︎♟︎♛︎
The position

A double check is the strongest discovered attack: both the moving piece and the piece behind it give check. You cannot block two checks or capture two pieces, so the king must move. Double checks often lead to mate.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♚︎♝︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♚︎♟︎♛︎
The position

Arjun Erigaisi vs Alireza Firouzja, Chess.com Bullet Open 1 2020. Arjun Erigaisi from Warangal became only the second Indian, after Anand, to cross a 2800 rating. Arjun Erigaisi plays White here. Look at the knight on f8: what can it do?

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♚︎♝︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♚︎♟︎♛︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 47.Ng6+

Arjun Erigaisi moves the knight to g6: double check! It attacks the queen on e5. It gives check.

From the game Arjun Erigaisi – Alireza Firouzja, Chess.com Bullet Open 1 2020.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♚︎♝︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♚︎♟︎♛︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 47.Ng6+ Kh7 48.Nxe5 Qb1+ 49.Kxb1 Bf8 50.Rxf8

The moves: 47.Ng6+ Kh7 48.Nxe5 Qb1+ 49.Kxb1 Bf8 50.Rxf8. At the end of the line, Arjun Erigaisi has won the queen. Now try it yourself: press Practice and play this position against the engine.

From the game Arjun Erigaisi – Alireza Firouzja, Chess.com Bullet Open 1 2020.

Step 5

♛︎♞︎♚︎♟︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎
The position

Vaishali R vs Olga Badelka, World Blitz Women 2023, Samarkand. Vaishali, Praggnanandhaa's sister, became India's third woman grandmaster. Vaishali R plays White here. Look at the knight on f8: what can it do?

Step 6

♛︎♞︎♚︎♟︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 39.Ng6#

Vaishali R moves the knight to g6: double check! Checkmate!

From the game Vaishali R – Olga Badelka, World Blitz Women 2023, Samarkand .

Step 7

♚︎♛︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎
The position

Farid Orujov vs Harika Dronavalli, Titled Tuesday (online) 2023. Harika Dronavalli won bronze at the Women's World Championship three times. Harika Dronavalli plays Black here. Look at the knight on f2: what can it do?

Step 8

♚︎♛︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 30...Nxh3+

Harika Dronavalli moves the knight to h3: double check! It captures the rook on h3. It gives check.

Step 9

♚︎♛︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 30...Nxh3+ 31.Kh1 Nf2+ 32.Qxf2 Bxf2 33.Nxd6 Nf6

The moves: 30...Nxh3+ 31.Kh1 Nf2+ 32.Qxf2 Bxf2 33.Nxd6 Nf6. At the end of the line, Harika Dronavalli has won the queen. Now try it yourself: press Practice and play this position against the engine.

Step 10

♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♛︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♟︎♝︎
The position

Fedoseev Vl3 vs Vidit Gujrathi, European Online CC Final 2021. Vidit Gujrathi from Nashik helped India win the Chess Olympiad gold in 2024. Vidit Gujrathi plays Black here. Look at the rook on e3: what can it do?

Step 11

♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♛︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♟︎♝︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 32...Rxg3+

Vidit Gujrathi moves the rook to g3: double check! It captures the pawn on g3. It pins the pawn on d3. It gives check.

Step 12

♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♛︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♟︎♝︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 32...Rxg3+ 33.Kh1 Bxe4+ 34.dxe4 Qxc4 35.hxg3 Qxf1+

The moves: 32...Rxg3+ 33.Kh1 Bxe4+ 34.dxe4 Qxc4 35.hxg3 Qxf1+. At the end of the line, Vidit Gujrathi has won the queen. Now try it yourself: press Practice and play this position against the engine.

Step 13

♟︎♜︎♟︎♚︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♚︎
The position

Magnus Carlsen vs Alexa Donchenko, Titled Tuesday (online) 2024. Magnus Carlsen from Norway was World Champion from 2013 to 2023. Magnus Carlsen plays White here. Look at the pawn on g7: what can it do?

Step 14

♟︎♜︎♟︎♚︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 45.g8=Q+

Magnus Carlsen moves the pawn to g8: double check! It gives check.

From the game Magnus Carlsen – Alexa Donchenko, Titled Tuesday (online) 2024.

Step 15

♟︎♜︎♟︎♚︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 45.g8=Q+ Kxh6 46.Rxf6+ Kh5 47.Qh7+ Kg4 48.Qg7+

The moves: 45.g8=Q+ Kxh6 46.Rxf6+ Kh5 47.Qh7+ Kg4 48.Qg7+. The pawn reaches the last rank and becomes a queen. Now try it yourself: press Practice and play this position against the engine.

From the game Magnus Carlsen – Alexa Donchenko, Titled Tuesday (online) 2024.

Step 16

♜︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♚︎
The position

Bobby Fischer vs Milan Matulovic, Herceg Novi blitz 1970. Bobby Fischer from the USA became World Champion in 1972. Bobby Fischer plays White here. Look at the rook on f5: what can it do?

Step 17

♜︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 32.Rf4+

Bobby Fischer moves the rook to f4: double check! It gives check.

From the game Bobby Fischer – Milan Matulovic, Herceg Novi blitz 1970.

Step 18

♜︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 32.Rf4+ Kh5 33.Qg4+ Kh6 34.Rf6#

The moves: 32.Rf4+ Kh5 33.Qg4+ Kh6 34.Rf6#. And it ends in checkmate. Brilliant! Now try it yourself: press Practice and play this position against the engine.

From the game Bobby Fischer – Milan Matulovic, Herceg Novi blitz 1970.

Open the lesson on the board · free, no account needed to read it.

More lessons in Tactics

Next lesson: Back-rank mate