Fork: knight to e7 (c6·7)
li-03mN1naming tag (square·N)Opens 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 1065 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 h2, queen c5, rook c2, knight c6, pawn f2 g2 h3.
Black: king g8, queen b1, rook d3 f8, pawn h6 f7 g7.
7 white and 7 black pieces are on the board; the puzzle position arises after move 35.
The position in numbers
Black are ahead by 2 points of material (20 against 22; pawn = 1, knight and bishop = 3, rook = 5, queen = 9) — the tactic has to convert or outweigh that.
The white king stands on h2, the black king on g8.
It is White to move on move 35, with 38 legal replies to weigh — only the line that keeps the advantage solves the puzzle.
White keeps 3 pawns, Black 3. Files fully open (no pawns of either colour): a, b, c, d, e — natural highways for the rooks and queen.
The White king has 0 empty squares to step to right now — the fewer they are, the closer a mating net.
Solution & explanation
Main line
35. Ne7+ Kh7 36. Qf5+ g6 37. Qxd3
Why it works
- Great move! knight to e7 keeps the pressure (+4.7).
- Well found: queen to f5 (+4.7).
- Strong! queen to d3 is the sharp choice (+4.7).
- You win a piece — the rook.
- If instead Kh7, then Qf5+ and you stay on top.
Move by move
- 35. Ne7+ — knight to e7 with check
- Kh7 — king to h7
- 36. Qf5+ — queen to f5 with check
- g6 — pawn to g6
- 37. Qxd3 — queen to d3 (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
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