Overloading (chess)

Overloading (also overworking) is a chess tactic in which a defensive piece is given an additional defensive assignment which it cannot complete without abandoning its original defensive assignment.

Examples

Krasenkow–Karpov, in the first round of the 2003 Corus chess tournament, reached the diagrammed position with Black to play. As the white rook on f1 is tied to the defense of the pawn on f3, Black won immediately with 
1... Re1

overloading the rook: If 2.Rxe1 or 2.Qc4, then 2...Qxf3. If 2.Kg2, then similarly, 2...Rxf1 3.Kxf1 Qxf3+ and 4...Qxd5.

In Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu–Anish Giri (see diagram), Giri played 
30... Bxh3! 

overloading the g2-pawn, as 31.gxh3 is met with 31...f3 (32.Re3 Qg5+).

An overload was also used in Rotlewi versus Rubinstein.

References

Category:Chess tactics
Category:Chess terminology