Windmill in chess: how it works
Alternating checks from two pieces that pick off material one move at a time.
The windmill is one of the most spectacular tactics in chess. Two pieces take turns giving check - usually a rook and a bishop - while the opponent's king is forced to shuffle back and forth. Each time the king moves, one piece picks up a free enemy piece.
The pattern gets its name from the spinning motion: the rook checks, the king moves, the bishop takes a piece and gives check, the king moves back, the rook takes another piece and gives check - and so on, like a windmill turning.
Windmills are rare in beginner games, but knowing the pattern helps you recognize when the setup is forming - and know what to play for.
Windmill examples
Rook checks, king moves, bishop takes and checks - the windmill begins
White plays Rg7+ (check), forcing the king to h8. Then Bxf6+ (bishop captures a piece AND gives check, since f6 diagonally attacks h8). The king is forced back to g8. White plays Rg7+ again. Each time the king goes back and forth, white picks off another enemy piece. This 'windmill' spinning continues until white runs out of material to capture or the position collapses.
Windmill setup: rook dominates the 7th rank, bishop covers escape squares
Setting up a windmill means getting your rook to the seventh rank and your bishop on the right diagonal before triggering the sequence. Here the white rook on e7 controls the 7th rank and threatens to check the king repeatedly while the bishop on g5 covers key squares. Once the pawns on f7, g7, and h7 are targeted, the windmill can begin harvesting material with every check.
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