Fork (chess)
In chess , a fork is a double attack by a piece on two or more opposing pieces or fields. The fork attack is often a decisive tactical twist, because not all threats can usually be parried. In principle, each figure can make a fork attack. The most common are knight's fork and farmer's fork .
In practice, the threat of launching a forked attack is often enough to wrest a positional concession from the opponent and thus gain an advantage. The threat of a fork attack therefore plays an important role in many chess games.
Knight fork
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Diagram 1
Knight fork |
In diagram 1, the white knight on e6 forks the black queen on g7 and the black rook on c7 . Neither the rook nor the queen can move away with check, but Black can try with 1.… Qd7! to prevent tower loss. On 2. Nxc7 Black would take White's queen. If White tries to answer with the intermediate chess 2. Qa8 +, 2.… Rc8 saves! (2.… Qc8? 3. Nxc7 Qxa8 4. Nxa8). The other intermediate chess 2. Qg4 + is more successful! Kf7 (Kh7 / h8 3rd Qh4 + and 4th Nxc7) 3rd Qf5 +! (3. Nxc7 ?? Qxg4)… Ke7 (3.… Ke8 / g8 fails on 4. Qf8 +) 4. Qe5! Black is helpless against this battery . Now, in addition to capturing on c7, White threatens Nc5 + with a queen win. The black intermediate chess 4.… Qc6 + 5. Kh2! does not help much as Nd4 + threatens to win a queen. Black has nothing better than 5.… Qxe6, after which White wins after 6. Qxc7 + with correct play. |
In the article about Arianne Caoili , a knight's fork is shown in a real game.
Family chess
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Diagram 2
Family chess
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If - as shown in Diagram 2 - the knight threatens the opposing king as well as other pieces, this is called family chess . |
Farmer's fork
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Diagram 3
Farmer's fork
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In diagram 3, the white pawn on d5 forks the black rooks on c6 and e6 . Since none of the rooks with check bid can avoid it and the white pawn cannot be tied up , a rook is inevitably lost. |
Runner fork
Black to move
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A bishop's fork is the basic motif for the settlement of the draw in this game. 38.… Rh1xd1 + |
Tower fork
White to move wins
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This study shows a settlement in a queen against rook endgame , with tower forks playing the decisive role. 1. h6 – h7 Td2 – h2 |
Combined examples
White to move
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1. Re1xe4? Tower fork 1.… Qe8xe4! |
Black wins |
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M. Bindig - P. Giddings
Maidstone, 2007
Black to move
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42.… Rxd4? because of the lady's fork 43. Qe5 +.
But the pawn fork 42.… e5 would have decided the game immediately (see diagram on the right), because the rook fork Re5 decides on the counterattack 43. Nc6 exf4 44. Nxe7. Instead it was followed by |
M. Bindig - P. Giddings
Maidstone, 2007 (variant)
Black wins
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literature
- David Hooper, Ken Whyld: The Oxford Companion to Chess . 2nd Edition. Oxford University Press, 1992, ISBN 0-19-866164-9 , p. 143.
- László Orbán: Chess tactics: witty moves and unexpected sacrifices, more than 150 exemplary short games, clearly explained . 2nd Edition. Schlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft, Hanover 2011, ISBN 978-3-869102887 , pp. 154-193.