Chess Tactics Guide
Chess Battery Attack
[Introduction]

Chess Tactics Teaser - Battery Attack Think of any Battery that powers any household or electrical gadget - the more Battery cells, the greater the output of power! ...

With that in mind, it's fairly easy to under stand the concept of a Battery, when applied to Chess.

The main aim of a Battery Attack is to either ...

Increase the focus of power, from your pieces, onto a single point/enemy piece that is either blocking access to the enemy's King;

Or, the Battery is used to build up a majority of powerful pieces, in order to Win The Exchange.

Chess Battery Attack Index

There are effectively two types of Battery Attack ...

One type happens along the straights (Ranks or Files), involving any combination of Rook(s) and Queen:

Battery Attack with Rooks Only (page 2)

Rooks are positioned with one in front of the other, either on a Rank or File. The leading Rook is usually accepted as a possible sacrifice, in exchange for an adverse piece (typically a Rook); leaving the trailing Rook both to complete the exchange and to take up position on a more advanced square within enemy territory, with the 7th Rank often the goal.

Battery Attack with Rook(s) & Queen (page 3)

Not always, but usually the Rook will be the leading piece in a Rook-Queen Battery, with the idea that the Rook will be exchanged, leaving the more powerful Queen in a more-advanced position. The most powerful type of Battery consists of both Rooks and Queen.

The second type happens along the diagonals, involving any combination of the Bishop(s) and Queen:

Battery Attack with Bishops Only (page 4)

Okay, while possible (through Underpromotion), it's going to be a rare sight in an actual game. But, just to show it's possible, click the link and see for yourself ...

Battery Attack with Bishop(s) and Queen (page 5)

This is the more-likely setup for a Battery on a diagonal, with one Bishop and the Queen. Usually, but not always, the Bishop will be the leading piece in this attack.

Earlier, I mentioned Batteries can be used to help Win The Exchange. Here's how:

How does a Battery help "Win The Exchange"? (page 6)

This example shows White's triple-cell Battery over-powering Black's double-cell Battery ... In a head-to-head exchange, two pieces will always lose out to three. (Call it simple maths, or somethin').