Fork: queen to d7 (f5)
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The tactical motive
Fork: one piece attacks two targets at once — they can't both be saved.
Difficulty 2105 ShuffleRating — expert level — few solve it at first try.
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 g3, queen f5, pawn f3 d5.
Black: king b8, rook a2 e5, pawn g5 d6 a7 b7.
4 white and 7 black pieces are on the board; the puzzle position arises after move 43.
The position in numbers
Black are ahead by 3 points of material (11 against 14; pawn = 1, knight and bishop = 3, rook = 5, queen = 9) — the tactic has to convert or outweigh that.
The white king stands on g3, the black king on b8.
It is White to move on move 43, with 20 legal replies to weigh — only the line that keeps the advantage solves the puzzle.
White keeps 2 pawns, Black 4. Files fully open (no pawns of either colour): c, e, h — natural highways for the rooks and queen. Half-open for White: a, b, g.
The White king has 2 empty squares to step to right now — the fewer they are, the closer a mating net.
Solution & explanation
Main line
43. Qd7 a6 44. Qxd6+ Ka8 45. Qxe5
Why it works
- Great move! queen to d7 keeps the pressure (+5.9).
- Well found: queen to d6 (+6.5).
- Strong! queen to e5 is the sharp choice (+7.2).
- You win a piece — the rook.
- If instead a6, then Qxd6+ and you stay on top.
Move by move
- 43. Qd7 — queen to d7
- a6 — pawn to a6
- 44. Qxd6+ — queen to d6 (capture) with check
- Ka8 — king to a8
- 45. Qxe5 — queen to e5 (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.
Queen endgame
Queens on an open board — precision above all.
Queen endgames are treacherous: the queen reaches everywhere, and one slip turns a win into perpetual check. The signs are few pawns, exposed kings, and checks hanging in the air. Tuck your king away early, and use your own checks to bring the queen closer or push your passer with tempo. The typical mistake is grabbing pawns while leaving your king exposed to endless checks.
Remove the defender
Capture the guard first — then take what it protected.
Removing the defender is the straightforward plan: capture the guard first, then take what it guarded. Unlike deflection, the defender is not lured away — it is traded off or destroyed on the spot. Stare at the target you crave and ask who defends it, and whether that defender can be profitably eaten. Count the whole capture sequence, not just the first move — the trade must pay off at the end.
Provenance
Derived from the Lichess puzzle database (CC0).
Pack 015
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