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Developing player · Knight fork
A short chess exercise to explore at your own pace. Try your move, ask for a hint, then read why the idea works.
Knight fork
White to move. Find a knight check that also attacks the rook, then capture it after Black’s supplied reply.
Select a piece, then its destination. You can drag, or use the arrow keys and Enter. Black’s reply is supplied in exercises with more than one move.
Nc7+ · Kd7 · Nxa8
A fork attacks two targets at once. Check which threat the opponent must answer first.
Nc7+ attacks the king on e8 and the rook on a8. The check matters because Black must address it before doing anything else. A knight check cannot be blocked by putting a piece between the knight and king; the knight does not attack along a line.
This exercise supplies ...Kd7 as one legal reply. White then plays Nxa8, capturing the rook. Other king moves are possible, so the displayed continuation is a teaching line rather than a promise that every opponent will choose the same reply. Before taking material in a full game, check for a stronger reply, a counterattack, or a trapped piece.
Try working backwards from a possible fork square. Name the two targets, then see whether your knight can reach a square that attacks both. Checking forks are especially useful to notice because the opponent’s immediate choice is restricted. The point is to see the relationship between the pieces, not memorise c7 as a magic square.
Take it into your next game: A fork attacks two targets at once. Check which threat the opponent must answer first.
Published · By Signa Chess Academy
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