Fork: bishop to c4
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The tactical motive
Fork: one piece attacks two targets at once — they can't both be saved.
Difficulty 970 ShuffleRating — for beginners taking their first steps in Chess960 tactics.
Black 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 f1, rook a5, pawn g2 f3 h3 a4.
Black: king h7, bishop b3 d4, pawn h5 g6.
6 white and 5 black pieces are on the board; the puzzle position arises after move 37.
The position in numbers
White are ahead by 1 points of material (9 against 8; pawn = 1, knight and bishop = 3, rook = 5, queen = 9) — the tactic has to convert or outweigh that.
The white king stands on f1, the black king on h7.
It is Black to move on move 37, with 28 legal replies to weigh — only the line that keeps the advantage solves the puzzle.
White keeps 4 pawns, Black 2. Files fully open (no pawns of either colour): b, c, d, e — natural highways for the rooks and queen. Half-open for Black: a, f.
Black hold the bishop pair, an edge in open lines. The Black king has 4 empty squares to step to right now — the fewer they are, the closer a mating net.
Solution & explanation
Main line
37... Bc4+ 38. Ke1 Bc3+ 39. Kf2 Bxa5
Why it works
- Great move! bishop to c4 keeps the pressure (+5.2).
- Well found: bishop to c3 (+5.3).
- Strong! bishop to a5 is the sharp choice (+5.4).
- You win a piece — the rook.
- If instead Ke1, then Bc3+ and you stay on top.
Move by move
- 37… Bc4+ — bishop to c4 with check
- 38. Ke1 — king to e1
- Bc3+ — bishop to c3 with check
- 39. Kf2 — king to f2
- Bxa5 — bishop to a5 (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.
Endgame tactic
Tactics live in the endgame too — strike while material is scarce.
Tactics do not retire when the queens come off: forks, pins and double attacks live on in the endgame. With so little material left, every tactical loss is almost always decisive. The signs are the usual ones — undefended pieces, king and piece on one line, a pawn about to promote. Even in a "technical" ending, scan for a shot before every move, both yours and your opponent's.
Provenance
Derived from the Lichess puzzle database (CC0).
Verified by Stockfish at depth 20+.
Solution forcedness confirmed (verified).
Pack 006
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