---

A discovered check occurs when moving a piece unblocks and reveals an attack on the opponent’s king by another piece. This is an especially powerful tactic due to the forcing nature of the move. As we will see in the computer evaluation of the game I played today, my successfully implemented ploy to create a discovered check was the difference between a completely winning position, and equality if my opponent had countered the move.

The discovered check forced the opponent to lose a piece for a pawn, and there was then the potential devastating line where they the opponent would lose even more material. In the actual game, I chose to play the lower risk strategy of safely liquidating the opponent’s pieces in forced balanced trades to maintain a one piece advantage in the endgame. A win is still a win even if it is less beautiful!

I hope you enjoyed this video, and thanks for watching!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/37670459471

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2022.02.03"]
[Round "?"]
[White "PurtanPetru"]
[Black "vitualis"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C45"]
[WhiteElo "1240"]
[BlackElo "1250"]
[TimeControl "1800"]
[EndTime "15:59:38 PST"]
[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. f3 d5 7. Nc3 Nf6 8. e5 Qe7 9. Be2 Qxe5 10. f4 Qd4 11. Qxd4 Bxd4 12. Bd2 O-O 13. O-O-O Ne4 14. Nxe4 dxe4 15. Kb1 Rb8 16. c3 Bc5 17. Rhe1 Bf5 18. h3 e3+ 19. Kc1 exd2+ 20. Rxd2 Be3 21. g3 Rfd8 22. Rd1 Bxd2+ 23. Rxd2 Rxd2 24. Kxd2 Rxb2+ 25. Ke3 Rxe2+ 26. Kxe2 Bxh3 27. Kd3 h5 28. Kc4 Bd7 29. Kb4 f6 30. Ka5 g5 31. fxg5 fxg5 32. Ka6 h4 33. gxh4 gxh4 34. Kxa7 h3 35. a4 h2 36. a5 h1=Q 37. a6 c5 38. Kb8 Bc6 39. Kxc7 Bg2 40. a7 Kg7 41. Kb6 Qc1 42. Kxc5 Qxc3+ 43. Kb6 Qc4 44. a8=Q Bxa8 45. Ka7 Qa4+ 0-1