Week 122: how to get better at chess tactics, one double attack at a time
Three rapid games, 1231 → 1223, one win and two losses between June 8 and 13, 2026. When I lined up the three turning points, they were the same tactic three times: a double attack, a single move that attacks two things at once. I missed one and allowed two. If the question is how to get better at chess tactics, a week like this is a good map, because it shows exactly which pattern costs me points.
The week in numbers
| Games | 3 |
| Wins / losses / draws | 1 / 2 / 0 |
| Rating | 1231 → 1223 (−8) |
| Average accuracy | 75.5% |
| My blunders | 9 |
| With White / with Black | 1–1 / 0–1 |
| Openings | East Indian London System, Zukertort Chigorin Variation, Pirc Defense |
Nine blunders in three games is three per game, which is high for me in this period; five of them came in game 2105 alone. The win, game 2106, also had three blunders of mine, and my opponent made four.
The double attack I missed
Game 2105, White against Moonvyyx (1223), East Indian London. I was winning on move 17 (+4.32). Black's knight on b4 had no defender, and so did Black's rook on e8.
My queen to b3 attacked the knight. Black defended it with a pawn to a5 and that was that: +0.81. The engine's queen to a4 attacks the same knight and, along the diagonal, the rook on e8 too. Black can't cover both with one move, and in the engine's line White stays winning at +4.56. Same idea, wrong square. It got worse: four more blunders, and on move 24 a rook capture on c7 walked into a forced mate in four. The game ended there (game 2105).
The double attack I allowed, and got away with
Game 2106, White against Boycegee (1232), Zukertort Chigorin. On move 19 the position was exactly equal (0.00). Black's knight sat on e5 in the middle of the board.
Rook to d5 adds an attacker on e5, but it puts my rook next to my queen on the same rank, both within reach of Black's c-pawn. The engine's answer for Black is pawn to c6: a fork that attacks my queen on b5 and my rook on d5. That would have been −5.69. Knight takes on e5 keeps it level. My opponent played a knight move instead, and I won by resignation on move 32 (game 2106).
The double attack I allowed, and paid for
Game 2107, Black against 00Michael0 (1234), Pirc Defense. On move 25 I was slightly better (−0.89). My king on g8 was the only defender of the f7 pawn, and White's rook on f1 was looking straight at it.
King to h7 looks like a harmless safety move, but from h7 the king no longer touches f7. White's rook takes on f7 with check and at the same time attacks my knight on e7, which has no defender: another double attack. That's exactly what happened. After my king moved back, the rook took the knight, and the game ended on move 27 (game 2107). King to g7 keeps guarding f7.
The lesson of the week
Every move, I look for the move that attacks two things: for me first, then for my opponent after my move. The pattern was the same in all three games. In game 2105 I had to choose between a queen move that attacked one loose piece and one that attacked two. In game 2106 I lined up two pieces where a single pawn could hit both. In game 2107 I moved my king away from the only pawn it was guarding, and the rook capture came with check and a second target. Three different pieces, one tactic.
All games this week
| Game # | Date | Colour | Opponent (rating) | Result | Opening | Accuracy | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2105 | Jun 8 | White | Moonvyyx (1223) | Loss | Indian Game, East Indian London System | 71.0% | game |
| 2106 | Jun 9 | White | Boycegee (1232) | Win | Queen's Pawn Opening, Zukertort Chigorin Variation | 72.3% | game |
| 2107 | Jun 13 | Black | 00Michael0 (1234) | Loss | Pirc Defense | 83.1% | game |
Back one: week 121. Forward one: week 123. The complete list is on the journey hub. To find your own double attacks, missed or allowed, review your own games like this.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get better at chess tactics?
Look for the double attack in your own games first. In my three games of week 122, every turning point was one: in game 2105 I missed a queen move that hit a knight and a rook, and in games 2106 and 2107 my moves allowed my opponent one.
What is a double attack in chess?
A single move that attacks two things at once, so the opponent can only save one. A fork is a double attack by one piece, like the pawn move in game 2106 that would have hit my queen and my rook together.
Why do I keep missing tactics in my games?
In game 2105 I found the right idea, attacking a loose knight, but with the wrong queen move: mine hit only the knight, the engine's hit the knight and a rook. The engine's move kept +4.56; mine dropped it to +0.81.