Tactics Puzzles: forks, pins and skewers

6. Bxf7+ Kxf7 7. Qxd8 First take f7 with the bishop, with check. The black king has to take the bishop, and now nothing protects the black queen on d8, so the white queen takes it down the d-file.

5... d5 Push the pawn to d5. It attacks the bishop on c4 and the knight on e4 at the same time. White can't save both, so a piece has to go back, and material is even.

9. Bb5+ The bishop jumps to b5 with check. Black has to answer the check first, and the d-file opens at the same time, so next move the white queen takes the black queen on d4.

4... Qxe4+ The queen takes e4 with check and lines up on the rook on h1 at the same time. The white king can't go to f2 (the bishop on c5 covers it), so White can only block the check, and next move the queen takes the rook on h1.

5. Nc6+ The knight jumps to c6. The white queen gives check on the e-file, and the knight attacks the black queen on d8. Black has to block the check first, and the queen falls next move.

6... Nxd5 Take back on d5 with the knight! After the white bishop takes the black queen, Black checks with Bb4+. White can only block with the queen, Black takes it back, and ends up a piece ahead.

1. Rh8+ The rook charges to h8 with check, leaving f8 free. Whether Black takes the rook or moves away, the pawn promotes to a queen next move.

1. Rc8+ Qxc8 2. Ne7+ The rook goes to c8 with check, and the black queen has to take it. Then the knight jumps to e7, giving check and attacking the queen on c8. After the king moves, the knight takes the queen.

1. Qxf7+ Kxf7 2. Ne5+ The white queen takes on f7 with check. The king can't go to f8 or g7 (the queen covers them), and h8 is covered by the bishop on c3, so it has to take the queen. Once the king is on f7, the knight jumps to e5, giving check and attacking the queen on d7.

1. Rb8 Rxb8 2. cxb8=Q The rook goes to b8 and attacks the rook on c8. If the black rook takes on b8, the c-pawn takes back and promotes. If the black rook takes the pawn on c7, the rook on c1 takes back. If Black ignores it, the white rook takes on c8. Whatever Black does, he loses a rook.

1. Nxc7 If the knight runs to b6, the a7 pawn takes it. If it stays put, the black bishop takes it. Better to take the pawn on c7: before the black queen takes it back, it has at least won one more pawn.

1... Bxb3 2. cxb3 If the bishop runs to b1, the rook takes it there too. Better to take the pawn on b3 as well and get taken by the c-pawn. Black gives a bishop for two pawns, which is better than for just one.

1. Nxf7 The knight takes the pawn on f7, and from f7 it attacks the black queen on d8. Black either takes the knight with the king, or saves the queen first and lets the knight escape. Either way, White wins an extra pawn. Jumping to g6 would just lose the knight to a pawn for nothing.

1. Nd3+ The knight jumps to d3. The rook on e1 gives check, and the knight attacks the queen on b2. Black has to answer the check first (even blocking with the queen on the e-file just loses her), and next move the knight takes the queen.

1. d5 Push the pawn to d5. It attacks the knight on c6 and clears the long diagonal, so the bishop attacks the rook on h8. Black can only save one: save the knight and lose the rook, or save the rook and lose the knight.

1. Nf5+ The knight jumps to f5 with check and opens the d-file. Whether Black moves the king or takes the knight with a pawn, the white queen takes the black queen on d8 next move.

1. Ng6+ The knight jumps to g6. The knight gives check and so does the bishop on b2: double check. The h7 pawn can't take the knight, so the king has to go to g8, and next move the knight takes the queen on h4.

1. Ne7+ The knight jumps to e7, giving check and attacking the queen on c8. After the king moves away, the knight takes the queen.

1. c3 The pawn moves to c3 and attacks both the knight on b4 and the bishop on d4. If the bishop takes on c3, the b2 pawn takes back, and Black is still a piece down.

1. Qe4+ The queen goes to e4, giving check on the file and attacking the knight on a4 along the rank. After the king moves, the queen takes the knight.

1. Rd8+ The white rook charges to d8, blocking the black rook and giving check too. Black has to take the rook with his rook, and then the pawn takes back on d8 and promotes to a queen. The black king is stuck behind its own pawns. Checkmate.

1. Nd7 The white knight jumps to d7, right between the bishop and e8. If the bishop takes the knight, the white rook on d1 takes back, and Black has nothing left guarding e8. If the bishop doesn't take, the pawn just promotes.

1. f7 Push the pawn to f7, between the bishop and e8. If the bishop takes on f7, the rook on f1 takes back. If it doesn't, the other pawn promotes next move.

1. Bxf5 The bishop takes the bishop on f5 first. When the e6 pawn takes back, the knight on d5 is left unprotected, and the white rook takes it. White gives one bishop for two pieces. Taking the knight with the rook first also wins something, but a rook is worth more than a bishop, so you win less.

1. Bc4 The bishop goes to c4 and pins the black queen to her king. The queen can't leave that diagonal. If she takes the bishop, the b3 pawn takes back, and Black has given a queen for a bishop. Ouch.

1. f4 Push the pawn to f4 and attack the knight. It's absolutely pinned, so it can't run. Even if the black king steps aside first, the pawn still takes the knight next move. Hitting a pinned piece with your cheapest pawn is the textbook way.

1. Qxg6 The queen just takes the knight on g6! The f7 pawn is pinned to the king by the white bishop on c4, so it can't take back. A pinned piece can't protect anyone.

1. Ra6+ The rook goes to a6 with check. No black piece can block on b6, so the king has to leave the 6th rank, and next move the rook takes the queen on g6 along the rank.

1. Qd4+ The queen goes to d4 with check on the diagonal. The black king has to leave the diagonal (g7 is still on it, so not there), and then the queen takes the rook on h8.

1. Bc3+ The bishop goes to c3 with check. The black king can't block or capture the bishop, so it has to move, and the bishop takes the rook on h8 along the long diagonal.

1. Rxc7+ Take the queen on c7! As soon as the rook leaves g7, the bishop gives check, the king has to go back to g8, and the queen is lost for nothing. The black queen on c7 is staring at the rook on g7. If you don't take her now, she'll take your rook.

1. Rxg7+ Kh8 2. Rxf7+ Kg8 3. Rxc7 The rook takes on g7 with check, and the king has to go to h8. The rook takes on f7, the bishop gives check, and the king returns to g8. Now the black queen on c7 is on the same rank as the white rook. If the rook went back to g7 with check, the queen would take it. So just take the queen.

1. Rg5+ Kh7 2. Rxb5 The rook drops back to g5, and the bishop gives check. The rook is now on the same rank as the queen on b5. The black king has to go to h7, and the white rook takes the queen.

1... Nxe2+ 2. Kh1 Rxd8 Not so fast! The black knight first takes the bishop on e2 with check. The white king has to go to h1, and then the black rook takes back the white queen on d8. The white bishop was relying on the queen for protection, and once the queen was traded, it was left alone. Black wins an extra bishop.

1... Rxe1+ 2. Kh2 Rxd8 Black first takes the rook on e1 with the rook from e8, giving check. The white king has to go to h2, and then Black takes back the white queen on d8 with the rook from a8. Black wins an extra rook.

2. Bxe6+ Kh8 3. Rxd1 The white bishop first takes the knight on e6 with check. The black king goes to h8 (or the rook blocks on f7, and then that rook is pinned), and then the white rook takes back the queen. White wins an extra knight.