Fork: queen to d8
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The tactical motive
Fork: one piece attacks two targets at once — they can't both be saved.
Difficulty 937 ShuffleRating — for beginners taking their first steps in Chess960 tactics.
White to move — find the best continuation
How to recognize this tactic
A fork is one piece attacking two targets at once. Look for a knight, pawn or queen move that lands where it hits the king (or a bigger piece) and a second undefended unit on the same turn — the opponent can save only one.
General method: before you move, list the forcing candidates — every check, every capture, every direct threat — and calculate those first. The solution to a tactic is almost always among them.
Position on the board
White: king g1, queen d1, knight f3, pawn a2 f2 g2 h2 b3.
Black: king g8, queen e4, knight c5, pawn e3 a5 b6 g7 h7.
8 white and 8 black pieces are on the board; the puzzle position arises after move 29.
The position in numbers
Material is level — 17 points of pieces on each side (pawn = 1, knight and bishop = 3, rook = 5, queen = 9).
The white king stands on g1, the black king on g8.
It is White to move on move 29, with 30 legal replies to weigh — only the line that keeps the advantage solves the puzzle.
White keeps 5 pawns, Black 5. Files fully open (no pawns of either colour): c, d — natural highways for the rooks and queen. Half-open for White: e.
The White king has 2 empty squares to step to right now — the fewer they are, the closer a mating net.
Solution & explanation
Main line
29. Qd8+ Kf7 30. Ng5+ Kg6 31. Nxe4
Why it works
- Great move! queen to d8 keeps the pressure (+7.6).
- Well found: knight to g5 (+7.7).
- Strong! knight to e4 is the sharp choice (+7.6).
- You win a piece — the queen.
- If instead Kf7, then Ng5+ and you stay on top.
Move by move
- 29. Qd8+ — queen to d8 with check
- Kf7 — king to f7
- 30. Ng5+ — knight to g5 with check
- Kg6 — king to g6
- 31. Nxe4 — knight to e4 (capture)
Types in this puzzle
Royal fork
A fork with check: the king must move, and the second piece is lost.
A royal fork is a fork with check — one of the two targets is the king itself. The check must be answered first, so nobody is left to rescue the second piece. Look for squares where your piece gives check and simultaneously attacks an undefended queen or rook. It is the most reliable fork of all, because your opponent literally has no choice.
Queen endgame
Queens on an open board — precision above all.
Queen endgames are treacherous: the queen reaches everywhere, and one slip turns a win into perpetual check. The signs are few pawns, exposed kings, and checks hanging in the air. Tuck your king away early, and use your own checks to bring the queen closer or push your passer with tempo. The typical mistake is grabbing pawns while leaving your king exposed to endless checks.
Provenance
Derived from the Lichess puzzle database (CC0).
Verified by Stockfish at depth 20+.
Solution forcedness confirmed (verified).
Pack 005
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