Fork
Fork
A Fork is a tactic in which a single piece attacks two or more opponent's pieces simultaneously, often leading to a material gain. In the diagram above, White can play 1.Nf7+ and attack the King, Queen and Rook at the same time (also called a Family Fork). As soon as the King moves away the Knight will capture the Queen.
When delivering a Fork: (1) Be mindful of potential counterattacks or defensive measures from your opponent. Against a Fork: (1) Create a counterattack that gives you time to move your pieces out of the fork, (2) Prioritize saving the more valuable of the forked pieces.
Designed with Love in Italy
Designed with Love in Italy
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Master the Fork
When we started adding a playful touch to chess learning, we looked through thousands of videos and hundreds of books to find the best resources out there. Here's our curated selection of the best content we encountered on Forks. We also included some smaller creators who are growing fast and we believe deserve your attention. Check out these resources if you want to master this tactical pattern.
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This is not an explanation video. It’s a YouTube short by Will Taylor Chess. It’s included in here just so that you can see how much fun Forks can be.
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In this fast-paced video by highly entertaining Top Chess channel you’ll be treated to a special Knight Fork. Go for it and have a great laugh!
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Have a look at this really fun video by Eric Rosen. The “Castle Forks” in the games are so unexpected and pleasing.
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Sharpen your pattern recognition with this excellent work by Antonio Gude. Every tactic here is well organized, with several sections dedicated to Forks.
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Tactics Time! 1001 Chess Tactics from the Games of Everyday Chess Players*
This book by Tim Brennan is an excellent and affordable collection of 1001 positions taken from games of everyday players (no GMs) and thus is much more likely to happen in your own actual games. For beginners.