The knight fork: seeing two targets in one move
A fork attacks two or more targets with one piece. Knights are especially suited to it: they jump over obstacles and attack unusual squares. But attacking two pieces does not guarantee a gain. Work out your opponent's available reply and what remains afterwards.
In this article
Look for a square, not a pretty jump
A knight travels two squares in one direction and one in the other. Picture it on the destination and list its targets. Start with the king, queen and undefended rooks: losing one is usually significant. Then check whether the opponent can simply capture your knight. Do not judge the move only by the number of attacks.
Calculate the whole sequence
White's knight is on e4, Black's king on e6 and queen on b7. The move e4–c5 attacks both e6 and b7. It is a knight check, which cannot be blocked. In this position Black must move the king; the example chooses e6–e7. Now c5–b7 takes the queen. White has a large material advantage, but the game continues: the advantage still needs converting into a win.
Why some forks fail
Without check, the opponent might create a stronger threat, defend both targets in one move or attack your king. Even with check, test whether the knight can be captured. Beginners often stop calculating at the double attack. Name at least one legal reply before claiming the future gain. Winning material is not immediate checkmate.
Watch both sides
Replay the three moves and explain why the queen cannot escape first. Then open “Knight fork”. In a bot game, watch enemy knight squares as well as your own jumps. When two valuable pieces stand nearby, ask whether an enemy knight has a square attacking both. This turns the exercise into a defensive habit.
Your move now.
Practise the idea on the board. You can make mistakes, try again and start over.
Open exerciseRules and sources
Use these links to check the rules and explore the topic further.