Double attack: knight to f4
li-01Z8EOpens in the app if installed, otherwise downloads the APK.
The tactical motive
Double attack: one move creates two threats at once.
Difficulty 1092 ShuffleRating — club-player level.
Black to move — find the best continuation
How to recognize this tactic
A double attack threatens two things at once so the opponent cannot parry both. Look for a single move — often a queen or knight — that creates two separate threats, such as a check plus an attack on a loose piece.
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 h3, queen g1, bishop g4, pawn a2 f5 h5.
Black: king c3, bishop e5, knight d3, pawn d4 e4 g5 f6.
6 white and 7 black pieces are on the board; the puzzle position arises after move 49.
The position in numbers
White are ahead by 5 points of material (15 against 10; pawn = 1, knight and bishop = 3, rook = 5, queen = 9) — the tactic has to convert or outweigh that.
The white king stands on h3, the black king on c3.
It is Black to move on move 49, with 19 legal replies to weigh — only the line that keeps the advantage solves the puzzle.
White keeps 3 pawns, Black 4. Files fully open (no pawns of either colour): b, c — natural highways for the rooks and queen. Half-open for Black: a, h.
The Black king has 5 empty squares to step to right now — the fewer they are, the closer a mating net.
Solution & explanation
Main line
49... Nf4+ 50. Kg3 Ne2+ 51. Kg2 Nxg1
Why it works
- Great move! knight to f4 keeps the pressure (+2.7).
- Well found: knight to e2 (+3.1).
- Strong! knight to g1 is the sharp choice (+3.5).
- You win a piece — the queen.
- If instead Kg3, then Ne2+ and you stay on top.
Move by move
- 49… Nf4+ — knight to f4 with check
- 50. Kg3 — king to g3
- Ne2+ — knight to e2 with check
- 51. Kg2 — king to g2
- Nxg1 — knight to g1 (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.
Discovered attack
A piece steps aside and opens a second attack from the piece behind it.
A discovered attack works like a curtain: one piece steps off the line and unveils the long-range piece behind it. The beauty is that the moving piece can create a second threat of its own — two attacks in one move. Look for your stacked pairs: a bishop or rook behind a knight or pawn, aimed through them at something valuable. Send the front piece to the most aggressive square — a discovery without a second threat wastes half its power.
Provenance
Derived from the Lichess puzzle database (CC0).
Verified by Stockfish at depth 20+.
Solution forcedness confirmed (verified).
Pack 007
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