A triple check in chess is a rare and powerful tactical motif where a single move delivers check to the opponent's king from three different pieces simultaneously. Here's how it generally works and how you can set up or recognize a triple check:
How Triple Check Works:
Setup with a Double Check: Typically, a triple check requires a double check scenario first. A double check occurs when two pieces deliver check to the opponent’s king at the same time, usually as a result of moving a piece that uncovers a check from a different piece (often a sliding piece like a rook, bishop, or queen).
Add a Third Checking Piece: To achieve a triple check, the piece that moves must itself also deliver check. This can happen if:
A pawn is promoted to a knight (or other piece) and delivers check.
A discovered check is created, and the moving piece also gives a direct check.
A unique scenario arises where one piece moves, delivering a check by itself, while uncovering a check from two other pieces.
Example Scenario for Triple Check:
Imagine a situation on the board where:
A rook and a bishop are lined up with the opponent’s king, ready to give a discovered check.
A pawn moves forward and promotes to a knight, giving a direct check.
The promotion of the pawn also uncovers the checks from the rook and the bishop.
Here’s a sample setup:
White: King on e1, Bishop on c4, Rook on e4, Pawn on d7.
Black: King on e8.
White to move: d7-d8=N+
The move d7-d8=N promotes the pawn to a knight, delivering check.
At the same time, this move uncovers a double check from the rook on e4 and the bishop on c4.
The black king is now in a triple check from the knight on d8, the rook on e4, and the bishop on c4.
How to Use Triple Check Effectively:
Force King Moves: Since triple checks involve multiple attacking pieces, the opponent’s king usually has no choice but to move, as capturing or blocking the checks is impossible.
Create Tactical Opportunities: Use triple checks to create strong tactical threats or force winning combinations, as the opponent will be very limited in their response options.
Recognizing Potential Triple Check Setups:
Look for alignment of your pieces that could potentially deliver discovered checks.
Consider moves that could both deliver a check and unveil other checks, particularly involving promotion scenarios or pieces like rooks and bishops.
Triple checks are rare and require a specific setup, but when executed, they can be a very powerful tactic in a game of chess!
That does not work.
In xiangqi, the knight's movement is restricted by a piece placed in front of it in the direction that it wants to move to. If that was the case in chess, a triple check would be possible if e8=N+++ was played in the following position.
That doesn’t work. When the move was played, black was already in check, so that men’s black played an illegal move to get into that position.