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  • Lesson 16 of 32
  • Your first tactics
  • 2 min

The Fork: Attack Two Pieces at Once

A fork is the most common way to win material in chess. One piece attacks two at once, your opponent can only save one of them, and you take the other.

Step 1 of 3

  1. Two targets, one move

    The white knight on c7 attacks the black king on e8 and the rook on a8 at the same time. Black is in check, so the king has to move, and next turn the knight takes the rook. Knights are the best forking pieces, because their attacks don't run along lines and are easy to miss.

  2. Fork the king and rook

    Find the knight move that attacks the black king and the rook on c8 together. Then collect your prize.

    Your move

    Fork the king and rook with your knight, then take the rook.

  3. Even a pawn can fork

    Any piece can fork. A pawn attacks the two squares diagonally in front of it, so a pawn stepping between two enemy pieces attacks them both. Your pawn on d4 guards e5, so the pawn that steps there can't simply be taken for free.

    Your move

    Fork the bishop and knight with a pawn.

What you learned

  • A fork is one piece attacking two or more enemy pieces at once.
  • A fork with check is the strongest kind: the king must move, and you take the other piece.
  • Knights and pawns make the most surprising forks.

In this course

Unit 1The pieces

  1. The Chessboard and How to Set Up the Pieces
  2. How the Rook Moves in Chess
  3. How the Bishop Moves in Chess
  4. How the Queen Moves in Chess
  5. How the King Moves in Chess
  6. How the Knight Moves in Chess
  7. How Pawns Move and Capture in Chess
  8. Chess Piece Values: What Each Piece Is Worth

Unit 2Special moves

  1. What Is Check in Chess, and How to Get Out of It
  2. How to Castle in Chess: Kingside and Queenside
  3. En Passant in Chess, Explained on the Board
  4. Pawn Promotion in Chess: Turning a Pawn Into a Queen

Unit 3Winning the game

  1. What Is Checkmate? Learn to Mate in One
  2. Stalemate in Chess: Why It's a Draw
  3. How to Checkmate With a King and Queen

Unit 4Your first tactics

  1. The Fork: Attack Two Pieces at Once
  2. The Pin in Chess: Freeze a Piece in Place
  3. The Skewer in Chess: Attack Through a Piece

Unit 5Checkmate patterns

  1. Back-Rank Mate in Chess: Spot It and Stop It
  2. Smothered Mate in Chess: The Knight's Checkmate
  3. The Ladder Mate: Checkmate With Two Rooks
  4. How to Checkmate With a King and Rook

Unit 6More tactics

  1. Discovered Attack in Chess: Unmask a Hidden Attacker
  2. Double Check in Chess: Two Checks at Once
  3. Removing the Defender in Chess: Take the Guard

Unit 7Opening principles

  1. Control the Centre: A Chess Opening Principle
  2. How to Develop Your Pieces in the Chess Opening
  3. Scholar's Mate: How It Works and How to Stop It
  4. Fool's Mate: The Fastest Checkmate in Chess

Unit 8Endgame basics

  1. The Rule of the Square in Chess Endgames
  2. The Opposition in Chess: King Endgame Basics
  3. King and Pawn vs King: How to Win the Ending

Lessons for every game

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