The chess fork

Chess tactics

What is a fork in chess?

A fork is one move that attacks two or more enemy pieces at the same time. The opponent can only save one of them, so you win the other. Knights are the most famous forkers because they attack in a pattern that is hard to see, but queens, pawns, bishops and even kings can fork too.

How to spot it
  • Look for two enemy pieces that are a knight jump apart, or on lines from a square you can reach.
  • Check what is left undefended: a fork works best on a king and a loose piece, or a king and a queen.
  • Forcing moves first: a check that also attacks something else is a royal fork the opponent cannot ignore.
A common mistake

Forking a piece that is well defended. Count the defenders before you jump in: winning a knight for a rook is a bad trade.

Try it: real puzzles
Example 1: Black to move
Show the solution

19... Nxe4 20. Qe3 Ng3+ 21. Qxg3 Bxg3

Example 2: Black to move
Show the solution

9... Qb4+ 10. c3 Qxb5

Example 3: Black to move
Show the solution

29... Ng6 30. Bxf4 Nxh4

Example 4: White to move
Show the solution

56. Nf4+ Ke7 57. Nxh5

Train fork puzzles in ChessPeak

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