Fork: queen to c8
li-01dU7Opens in the app if installed, otherwise downloads the APK.
The tactical motive
Fork: one piece attacks two targets at once — they can't both be saved.
Difficulty 1190 ShuffleRating — club-player level.
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 a6, rook e1, pawn f2 a3 g3 h4.
Black: king g8, queen f5, rook d2, pawn b5 e6 f7 h7.
7 white and 7 black pieces are on the board; the puzzle position arises after move 38.
The position in numbers
Material is level — 18 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 38, with 30 legal replies to weigh — only the line that keeps the advantage solves the puzzle.
White keeps 4 pawns, Black 4. Files fully open (no pawns of either colour): c, d — natural highways for the rooks and queen. Half-open for White: b, e.
The White king has 4 empty squares to step to right now — the fewer they are, the closer a mating net.
Solution & explanation
Main line
38. Qc8+ Kg7 39. Qc3+ Qf6 40. Qxd2
Why it works
- Great move! queen to c8 keeps the pressure (+6.0).
- Well found: queen to c3 (+6.3).
- Strong! queen to d2 is the sharp choice (+6.4).
- You win a piece — the rook.
- If instead Kg7, then Qc3+ and you stay on top.
Move by move
- 38. Qc8+ — queen to c8 with check
- Kg7 — king to g7
- 39. Qc3+ — queen to c3 with check
- Qf6 — queen to f6
- 40. Qxd2 — queen to d2 (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.
Provenance
Derived from the Lichess puzzle database (CC0).
Verified by Stockfish at depth 20+.
Solution forcedness confirmed (verified).
Pack 007
Similar puzzles
In your browser or in the Android app. Nothing to install · Free, no ads