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TacticsPlay as white

The Fork

One piece, two targets. The tactic that wins more material than any other.

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Introduction

A fork is one move that attacks two things at once. Your opponent can answer one threat, not both — so the second one is yours. Every piece can fork, and the knight is the specialist.

Lesson Content

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Look at the two black targets: the king on e4 and the bishop on e8. They stand on the same file, four squares apart. A knight that lands between them on f6 would attack both — and because one of the two is the king, Black has to answer the check and the bishop is simply lost.

Fork
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1. ..Nf6+

The knight forks king and bishop. Because it is check, Black must answer the king first — and then the bishop on e8 drops off.

Fork
Alternative Moves
Ke2 — A safe-looking king move, but it gives Black the time to walk the king to d4 and hold the queenside pawns together — the bishop on e8 is never won, and White is left picking off a pawn instead of a piece.
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2. e5+

Pawns fork too, and they are the cheapest forkers of all: the pawn steps to e5 and attacks the king on f6 and the rook on d6 at the same time. Black saves the king, White takes the rook.

Fork
Alternative Moves
Nc7 — The knight retreats to a square where it attacks nothing at all, and that free move is all Black needs: the rook slips to d2, the pawn fork is gone, and the rook White was one move from winning stays on the board.
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Bishops fork along one diagonal. The black king on g7 and the rook on a1 both sit on the long dark diagonal, and the white bishop on c7 can step onto it — one move that checks the king and hits the rook, and the rook cannot be saved.

Fork
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3. Be5+

The bishop drops onto the diagonal, hits the king on g7 and the rook on a1 in one move, and next move it takes the rook.

Fork
Alternative Moves
Bxa5 — Taking the pawn wins a pawn and loses the game: Black plays 1...Rxa4 and the passed c-pawn is gone along with White's winning chances.
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The black king stands on e6 and the black rook on b3. Which knight move attacks both?

Fork
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Which fork is the hardest for your opponent to answer?

Fork

Key Takeaways

  • A fork attacks two targets with one move; only one of them can be saved.
  • A fork with check is the strongest kind — the king must move first.
  • Knights and pawns fork best, because they are worth less than almost everything they attack.

Now play it through

Step through every move on a real board, try the wrong ones, and ask Knighty why they fail.

Practice Interactively

Related Lessons

Mate in One

Hanging Pieces

The Skewer

Summary

Look for forks by scanning for enemy pieces that share a line, a diagonal or a knight's distance — and remember that the strongest fork always includes the king, because your opponent has no say in how to answer it.

Ready to Practice?

Practice Interactively

Next in this course

The Pin

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