Fork: bishop to c5 (f2)
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The tactical motive
Fork: one piece attacks two targets at once — they can't both be saved.
Difficulty 1026 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 c4, bishop f2 d3, pawn b3 g3 f4 h4.
Black: king d6, bishop d7, knight a7, pawn a5 c5 f5 h6 c7 g7.
7 white and 9 black pieces are on the board; the puzzle position arises after move 40.
The position in numbers
Black are ahead by 2 points of material (10 against 12; pawn = 1, knight and bishop = 3, rook = 5, queen = 9) — the tactic has to convert or outweigh that.
The white king stands on c4, the black king on d6.
It is White to move on move 40, with 15 legal replies to weigh — only the line that keeps the advantage solves the puzzle.
White keeps 4 pawns, Black 6. Files fully open (no pawns of either colour): d, e — natural highways for the rooks and queen. Half-open for White: a, c.
White hold the bishop pair, an edge in open lines. The White king has 1 empty squares to step to right now — the fewer they are, the closer a mating net.
Solution & explanation
Main line
40. Bxc5+ Ke6 41. Bxa7
Why it works
- Great move! bishop to c5 keeps the pressure (+4.8).
- Well found: bishop to a7 (+5.0).
- You win a piece — the knight.
- If instead Ke6, then Bxa7 and you win the knight.
Move by move
- 40. Bxc5+ — bishop to c5 (capture) with check
- Ke6 — king to e6
- 41. Bxa7 — bishop to a7 (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.
Minor-piece endgame
Bishops and knights duel — geometry decides.
A minor-piece endgame leaves only bishops and knights with pawns, and geometry decides. The bishop loves an open board and play on both wings; the knight loves fixed pawns and outpost squares. Check which color squares the pawns stand on and where the knight can actually reach in time. Practical tip: against a knight, spread the play across both flanks — short legs cannot cover everything.
Provenance
Derived from the Lichess puzzle database (CC0).
Verified by Stockfish at depth 20+.
Solution forcedness confirmed (verified).
Pack 006
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