An X-Ray Attack / Defense is a tactic in which a piece attacks/defends a piece (or square) through another piece. In the diagram above, White can play 1.Qa8+ and win immediately: the Queen would be defended through x-ray by the Rook on a3. Also, we can say that the Queen is attacking through x-ray the black pawn on f7: if the black Bishop moves, the pawn can be captured.
Ideas for when attacking / defending through x-ray: (1) Use the x-ray to gain material or another advantage, (2) Pay attention to defensive maneuvers. Ideas against an x-ray attack / defense: (1) Look for counter-attacks that can distract or weaken the x-ray attack.
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When we started adding a playful touch to chess learning, we looked through thousands of videos and hundreds of books to find the best resources out there. Here's our curated selection of the best content we encountered on X-Ray Attacks and Defenses. We also included some smaller creators who are growing fast and we believe deserve your attention. Check out these resources if you want to master this tactical pattern.
An awesome introduction to the X-Ray tactic by William Jones Chess growing YouTube channel. Many examples of increasing difficulty, very well explained. Start here.
This video by Chess Talk is a very useful and very fast-paced introduction to 24(!) of the most important existing chess tactics and techniques, including X-Ray.
Enjoy this short by Coach Daniel Greiner where he very calmly takes us step by step through a beautiful X-Ray example that came up in a daily Chess.com puzzle.
If you are an intermediate player who wants to get better at tactics and calculation, don’t miss this great book by GM Ramesh, one of the world’s most successful coaches.
This is the second book in the very successful “tactical” series by New in Chess. It is ideal for intermediate players who want to improve through a well-thought-out selection of exercises.
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