Chess tactics
What Is a Battery in Chess?
A battery is two or more pieces that move along the same kind of line, lined up one behind the other on a rank, file, or diagonal. The front piece attacks with the back piece's support, so the target is hit twice.
Example
1. e5 g6 2. exf6 Bxf6
The queen on d3 and the bishop on c2 line up toward h7, but the e4 pawn blocks the diagonal. e5 opens it and attacks the knight. A knight retreat allows Qxh7 mate, so Black blocks with g6 and loses the knight after exf6.
Common batteries
Doubled rooks on an open file are the most common battery. A queen in front of a rook on a file, or a queen and bishop on a diagonal pointed at the king, are the most dangerous. The queen and bishop battery aimed at h7 or h2 is behind many mating attacks.
Which piece goes in front matters. With the queen in front, the queen can capture on the target square backed by the piece behind. With the bishop or rook in front, the front piece can capture first and the queen recaptures, which is useful when the target is defended.
How to use a battery
Build the battery on a line that leads to a weakness: an open file, a weak pawn, or a square next to the enemy king. Then add a threat elsewhere, or remove the defender of the target, as e5 does in the example by chasing away the knight.
How to defend against one
Block the line with a pawn or a defended piece, trade off one of the pieces in the battery, or add defenders to the target. Against a queen and bishop aimed at h7, a knight on f6 and a pawn move such as g6 are the standard defenses.
Common questions
What is the most famous battery in chess?
The queen and bishop battery on the b1 to h7 diagonal, aimed at the castled king, is the best known. It is the engine of many attacks and of the Greek gift sacrifice.
Can a battery have three pieces?
Yes. A queen behind two rooks on a file, sometimes called Alekhine's gun, is a three-piece battery.
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