Beginner tactic · 2 of 11
The fork
One piece attacks two at once, and only one of them can be saved.
- Learn how it worksThree examples with Capra. You play each one yourself.Three examples with CapraStart the lesson
- Practise on real puzzlesPractise on puzzles80 fork puzzles, from easy to very hard.0 of 80 solvedGo to the puzzlesGo to the puzzles
Every piece can fork
The knight does half of the forking. Here are the other four pieces doing the same job.
Queen fork
22% of forksThe queen checks the king on the diagonal and hits the loose bishop along the rank.
Rook fork
15% of forksThe rook checks the king along the seventh rank and attacks the bishop behind it.
Bishop fork
10% of forksThe bishop checks the king one way along the diagonal and attacks the rook the other way.
Pawn fork
3% of forksThe pawn steps forward and attacks the knight and the bishop. One of them is lost.
Forks in numbers
Counted from the 34,185 forks in our puzzle library, all taken from real games- 1 in 8
of our puzzles has a fork in it. No other tactic comes up as often.
- 94%
of forks start with a check. Look at your checks first.
- 2 in 3
forks come in the endgame, when the board is open and pieces stand alone.
Which piece does the forking
- Knight51%
- Queen22%
- Rook15%
- Bishop10%
- Pawn3%
What the fork wins
- Rook43%
- Queen29%
- Bishop14%
- Checkmate8%
- Knight5%
Good to know
Forks: common questions
What is a fork in chess?
A fork is one move that attacks two or more pieces at the same time. Your opponent gets one move and has two problems, so one of the pieces is usually lost.
Which piece is best at forking?
The knight. Nothing can block a knight, and it can attack a queen or a rook without being attacked back. Queens, rooks, bishops, pawns and even kings fork too.
What is a royal fork?
A fork that attacks the king and the queen at once. The king has to move, and the queen is taken.
How do I stop falling for forks?
Before each move, look at where the enemy knights and queen can land with check, and keep your pieces defended.