Middlegame tactics explained: forks, discovered attacks, pins, clearance and double threats — with demo moves showing when each motif actually works.
The fork is the most practical tactic in Chinese chess: one move attacks two enemy pieces, so you win one of them. Learn the common shapes, how to create them, and the checks to run before you play it.
Read more →A discovered attack is the most deceptive tactic in Chinese chess: the piece in front steps away, the line behind it opens, and one move creates two threats. Learn how to build it and how to spot it coming.
Read more →A pin makes an enemy piece afraid to move, because something more valuable stands behind it. Learn the three types of pin, how to create one, and the standard ways to break free — a skill that quietly wins positions.
Read more →Clearance is the art of doing two jobs with one move: the piece you move improves, and the line it was blocking opens for another piece. Learn when clearing is worth a move and when it just wastes tempo.
Read more →A skewer lines up two enemy pieces and attacks the front one: when it steps aside, the piece behind it is exposed. Learn how the shape works, when it wins material, and how to defend against it.
Read more →Deflection uses a sacrifice or a threat to pull the piece guarding the palace out of position, opening a hole in a defence that looked solid. Learn the setup, the bait, and how to finish the attack.
Read more →Blocking means occupying the squares an enemy piece needs, so a strong piece cannot function. Elephant eyes, horse legs and cut chariot lines are all forms of it. Learn when blocking is worth a move.
Read more →A double threat means one move creating two threats of different kinds — a check plus a capture, or mate plus a piece — so your opponent can only answer one. It is the core idea behind winning material in the middlegame.
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