Answers.Body: <p>In </p>
  
  <pre><code>[Title "your example"]
  [fen "4r2k/Bb1n2pp/2q1r3/1R1Qpp2/2P5/5P2/P4KPP/4RB2 w - - 0 1"]
  
  1. Rxb7 Qxb7 2. Qxb7
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>when R x b7, your Queen on d5 is guarding the rook, even though it doesn't look like it. That's because if Black plays Q (c6) takes b7, your Q (d5) can take it back.</p>
  
  <p>The reason "it doesn't look like it" is because the Black Q on c6 appears to be blocking the way to b7. That is, until the Black Q herself moves to b7. Thus, your Q d5 has "xray" power to b7 through the Black Q on c6.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-02-02T18:27:43.773Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-08-14T12:44:42.460Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2019-08-14T12:44:42.460Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tom Au
Answers.Body: <p>Basically, an x-ray attack is one where, even if one of your long range piece (queen, bishop, rook) is being blocked by another piece, then you should still look at the squares that your blocked piece can attack <strong>through</strong> the piece that's blocking it. Here's an <a href="http://chesstempo.com/chess-problems/79954" rel="nofollow noreferrer">example</a>. </p>
  
  <pre><code>[fen "r1Q2b1r/1p1R1pp1/p1b2k2/8/2q2Np1/2P1B2P/PP3P2/2K4R w - - 0 1"]
  
  1. Bd4+ Kg5 2. Rd5+ Qxd5 3. Qxg4+ Kh6 4. Qh4+ Qh5 5. Qxh5++
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Here, the queen's power is unleashed on the poor g4 pawn after the rook moves after which his majesty is thrown off the board. Always look out for tricks like this, and the one in the link that you posted in the question. An x-ray attack can be used simultaneously with discovered attack. But the basic idea is that one of your pieces "sees" through another.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-01-07T20:13:12.017Z
Answers.Text: I don't agree with the example : you have to move your own rook (with check, and even this way your opponent gets to play a move) for it to "work".
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-01-07T20:19:39.343Z
Answers.Text: I agree with Nikana, your example sounds more like a discovered attack than an x-ray.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Andrew
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-01-07T18:12:27.373Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-08-14T12:59:56.433Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2019-08-14T12:59:56.433Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: chubbycantorset
Answers.Body: <p>Basically, if a defending piece of your opponent has one of your pieces with the same movement "behind" it, then it's not really defending anything, as your piece standing behind also "attacks" what you want to capture <strong>through</strong> that defending piece of your opponent's.</p>
  
  <p>In the following exampe, the <code>♞g6</code> is x-ray-attacked by the <code>♖b6</code>, through the <code>♜d6</code>, so once the other rook takes it, it is defended <em>through</em> the black rook by the <code>♖b6</code> (and the knight is lost).</p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN "7k/4p3/1R1r2n1/P7/6R1/8/8/7K w - - 1 1"]
  
  1. Rxg6
  </code></pre>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-11-11T12:45:14.713Z
Answers.Text: @xaisoft In skewer, one uses a long-range piece to attack a piece and another target (piece or square) is on the same line of attack. Moving away the piece in front exposes the target. X-ray is more comparable to battery. In x-ray, you attack a target through an opponent's piece. So, you have more attacks on that square than you can count directly. But, this attack is realized only by the opponent piece moving to that square.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Cyriac Antony
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-11-11T12:47:49.627Z
Answers.Text: @chubbycantorset Not true. Battery is through your own pieces. X-ray is through your oppenent's pieces. These two are related to accumulation (attacking a target multiple times). Pin and skewer deal with a different theme. We call it pin/skewer when moving away an attacked piece exposes another target on the same line of attack.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Cyriac Antony
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-01-07T16:14:44.693Z
Answers.Text: What is the difference between this and a `Skewer`?
Answers.UserDisplayName: xaisoft
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-01-07T17:55:09.140Z
Answers.Text: You x-ray through your own pieces, whereas you skewer through your opponent's pieces. Good question!
Answers.UserDisplayName: chubbycantorset
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-01-07T20:17:07.107Z
Answers.Text: @xaisoft: [“In chess, the term X-ray or X-ray attack is sometimes used as a synonym for skewer.”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-ray_(chess)), and [“a skewer (or X-ray attack) is an attack…”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skewer_(chess)). It's the same basically.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-01-07T20:33:59.410Z
Answers.Text: So is this comment from chesstempo correct: `Note that this is not the same as a skewer as the relative value of the piece being attacked through is irrelevant.`
Answers.UserDisplayName: xaisoft
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-01-07T20:47:40.573Z
Answers.Text: @xaisoft: It is correct in the sense that there are 2 attack mechanisms with can be called differently with these 2 names. It is incorrect in the sense that people often mix the 2 terms to describe a skewer. The distinction between the two, if you make it, it that **in a skewer, your opponent *has to move the in-between piece not to lose it*, thereby letting you attack the other one, whereas in an x-ray attack, the piece in the middle is genuinely irrelevant**.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-01-07T16:00:13.967Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-01-07T16:00:13.967Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Body: <p>Can someone explain the <code>x-ray</code> tactical motif?  I have looked at this <a href="http://chesstempo.com/tactical-motifs.html#xray" rel="noreferrer">example</a>, but I still don't understand it fully.  If you can provide other examples, that would be great too.</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2013-01-07T23:27:34.080Z
Comments.Text: Wiki has a pretty substantive article on it.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-ray_(chess)
Comments.UserDisplayName: Tony Ennis
Tags: <learning><tactics>
Title: Understanding the x-ray tactical motif?
ThreadText: # Understanding the x-ray tactical motif?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2013-01-07)
  
  Can someone explain the `x-ray` tactical motif? I have looked at this [example](http://chesstempo.com/tactical-motifs.html#xray), but I still don't understand it fully. If you can provide other examples, that would be great too.
  
  **Tags:** learning, tactics
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Wiki has a pretty substantive article on it.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-ray_(chess)  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2013-01-07. Score: 8 | Accepted answer
  
  Basically, if a defending piece of your opponent has one of your pieces with the same movement "behind" it, then it's not really defending anything, as your piece standing behind also "attacks" what you want to capture through that defending piece of your opponent's.
  In the following exampe, the ♞g6 is x-ray-attacked by the ♖b6, through the ♜d6, so once the other rook takes it, it is defended through the black rook by the ♖b6 (and the knight is lost).
  [FEN "7k/4p3/1R1r2n1/P7/6R1/8/8/7K w - - 1 1"]
  
  1. Rxg6
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: What is the difference between this and a `Skewer`?  
  > **username_3**: You x-ray through your own pieces, whereas you skewer through your opponent's pieces. Good question!  
  > **username_4**: @username_0: [“In chess, the term X-ray or X-ray attack is sometimes used as a synonym for skewer.”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-ray_(chess)), and [“a skewer (or X-ray attack) is an attack…”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skewer_(chess)). It's the same basically.  
  > **username_0**: So is this comment from chesstempo correct: `Note that this is not the same as a skewer as the relative value of the piece being attacked through is irrelevant.`  
  > **username_4**: @username_0: It is correct in the sense that there are 2 attack mechanisms with can be called differently with these 2 names. It is incorrect in the sense that people often mix the 2 terms to describe a skewer. The distinction between the two, if you make it, it that **in a skewer, your opponent *has to move the in-between piece not to lose it*, thereby letting you attack the other one, whereas in an x-ray attack, the piece in the middle is genuinely irrelevant**.  
  > **username_6**: @username_0 In skewer, one uses a long-range piece to attack a piece and another target (piece or square) is on the same line of attack. Moving away the piece in front exposes the target. X-ray is more comparable to battery. In x-ray, you attack a target through an opponent's piece. So, you have more attacks on that square than you can count directly. But, this attack is realized only by the opponent piece moving to that square.  
  > **username_6**: @username_3 Not true. Battery is through your own pieces. X-ray is through your oppenent's pieces. These two are related to accumulation (attacking a target multiple times). Pin and skewer deal with a different theme. We call it pin/skewer when moving away an attacked piece exposes another target on the same line of attack.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2013-02-02. Score: 3
  
  In 
  [Title "your example"]
  [fen "4r2k/Bb1n2pp/2q1r3/1R1Qpp2/2P5/5P2/P4KPP/4RB2 w - - 0 1"]
  
  1. Rxb7 Qxb7 2. Qxb7
  
  when R x b7, your Queen on d5 is guarding the rook, even though it doesn't look like it. That's because if Black plays Q (c6) takes b7, your Q (d5) can take it back.
  The reason "it doesn't look like it" is because the Black Q on c6 appears to be blocking the way to b7. That is, until the Black Q herself moves to b7. Thus, your Q d5 has "xray" power to b7 through the Black Q on c6.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2013-01-07. Score: 0
  
  Basically, an x-ray attack is one where, even if one of your long range piece (queen, bishop, rook) is being blocked by another piece, then you should still look at the squares that your blocked piece can attack through the piece that's blocking it. Here's an example. 
  [fen "r1Q2b1r/1p1R1pp1/p1b2k2/8/2q2Np1/2P1B2P/PP3P2/2K4R w - - 0 1"]
  
  1. Bd4+ Kg5 2. Rd5+ Qxd5 3. Qxg4+ Kh6 4. Qh4+ Qh5 5. Qxh5++
  
  Here, the queen's power is unleashed on the poor g4 pawn after the rook moves after which his majesty is thrown off the board. Always look out for tricks like this, and the one in the link that you posted in the question. An x-ray attack can be used simultaneously with discovered attack. But the basic idea is that one of your pieces "sees" through another.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_4**: I don't agree with the example : you have to move your own rook (with check, and even this way your opponent gets to play a move) for it to "work".  
  > **username_5**: I agree with Nikana, your example sounds more like a discovered attack than an x-ray.  
  
  ---
  
  