ChessA fork is one piece attacking two enemy pieces at the same time. Your opponent only gets one move, so he can usually save just one of them, and you take the other. It's the most common tactic in chess. When you play chess online, it turns up in almost every game.
What it looks like
The classic is the knight fork. A knight moves in an L-shape, so it can hit several directions at once, and the pieces it attacks usually can't hit it back (unless they happen to move like a knight too).
A fork that gives check and hits another piece is the strongest kind, because your opponent has to deal with the check first.
Which pieces fork best
The knight
The knight is the best forker. It attacks in the most directions and can jump over other pieces. Whenever the enemy king, queen or rook sit on squares one knight could hit together, watch out.
The pawn
A pawn captures diagonally forward, so one pawn can threaten the squares to its front-left and front-right. Pawns are the cheapest piece. If one attacks two more valuable pieces, your opponent loses out either way.
The queen
The queen moves straight and diagonally, as far as she likes, so she can easily attack two targets from far away.
Kings, rooks and bishops can fork too. It just happens less often.
A real example: a knight fork in the opening
In the Two Knights Defense, if Black gets careless, the white knight can jump into f7:
After taking on f7, the knight attacks both the black queen and the black rook. The black king can't take the knight either, because the bishop on c4 protects it. Black can only save the queen, so the rook goes. This is also why f7 is the square Black fears most in the opening (see the Italian Game).
How to defend
- Don't line up your valuable pieces. If your king, queen and rook stand on one line, or one knight jump apart from each other, you're handing your opponent a chance.
- Keep your pieces protected. If both pieces are guarded, a fork is only a trade, not a gift.
- Win a tempo with a check or a counterattack. If you can give check first, or capture something more valuable, you can sometimes save both pieces.
- Look at where the enemy pieces can land next. Before you finish each move, glance at which squares the enemy knights can reach.
Practice puzzles
Show answer
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.
Show answer
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.
Show answer
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.
FAQ
Is a fork the same as a double attack?
Yes, more or less. A double attack is any move that makes two threats at once. When a single piece makes both attacks, we call it a fork, because the two lines of attack look like the prongs of a fork.
Does getting forked always cost you a piece?
Not always. If both pieces are protected, or you can strike back with a check first, you can sometimes save both, or at least win something back. That's why it pays to keep your pieces protected.
What's the most common fork?
The knight fork, especially the kind that gives check and attacks the queen or a rook at the same time. Keep an eye on where your opponent's knights can jump, and you'll dodge most forks.
Try it yourself
Once you've got the fork down, look at the pin and the skewer next. They often show up together. You can also go back to chess tactics to see every tactic, or jump straight into a game of free chess against the computer and look for a fork on purpose.