Fork: pawn to g6 (g7)
li-0E6WYnaming 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 2193 ShuffleRating — expert level — few solve it at first try.
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 h5, rook f5, pawn h3 e4.
Black: king c4, rook g3, pawn f6 g7.
4 white and 4 black pieces are on the board; the puzzle position arises after move 47.
The position in numbers
Material is level — 7 points of pieces on each side (pawn = 1, knight and bishop = 3, rook = 5, queen = 9).
The white king stands on h5, the black king on c4.
It is Black to move on move 47, with 19 legal replies to weigh — only the line that keeps the advantage solves the puzzle.
White keeps 2 pawns, Black 2. Files fully open (no pawns of either colour): a, b, c, d — natural highways for the rooks and queen. Half-open for Black: e, 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
47... g6+ 48. Kh4 gxf5 49. Kxg3 fxe4
Why it works
- Great move! pawn to g6 keeps the pressure (+6.8).
- Well found: pawn to f5 (+8.4).
- Strong! pawn to e4 is the sharp choice (+17.3).
- You win decisive material (+17.3).
- If instead Kh4, then gxf5 and you win the rook.
Move by move
- 47… g6+ — pawn to g6 with check
- 48. Kh4 — king to h4
- gxf5 — pawn to f5 (capture)
- 49. Kxg3 — king to g3 (capture)
- fxe4 — pawn to e4 (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.
Rook endgame
The most common endgame — activity decides everything.
The rook endgame is the most common of all: rooks and pawns on the board. Its first law is activity — a rook behind a passed pawn beats a rook passively babysitting one. The sign of a correct plan is that your rook is attacking something, not guarding something. The typical error is locking your rook into defense: it is often better to give up a pawn and keep your rook and king active.
Provenance
Derived from the Lichess puzzle database (CC0).
Verified by Stockfish at depth 20+.
Solution forcedness confirmed (verified).
Pack 015
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