Chessy
What Is a Fork in Chess?
A fork is a single piece attacking two or more enemy pieces at once, so the opponent can only save one of them.
Practice spotting forks before they happen — play a free game against Chessy's engine and sharpen your tactics.
Play free against the Chessy engine →Why forks are so effective
A fork works because the opponent only gets one move to respond, and one move can't defend two pieces at the same time. The defender is forced to save the more valuable piece and let the other one be captured — turning one tactical shot into a material gain.
The knight fork
Knights are the classic forking piece because they attack in an L-shape that can hit two far-apart pieces that don't see each other. A knight fork on a king and a rook, sometimes called a royal fork, is one of the most common and devastating tactics in chess — it wins material because the king must move out of check first.
Forks with other pieces
Forks aren't limited to knights. A pawn can fork two pieces by attacking diagonally in both directions, a queen can fork pieces along a rank, file, or diagonal, and even a king can fork undefended pieces in the endgame. Any piece that attacks more than one enemy target at once is creating a fork.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common type of fork?
The knight fork is the most common and famous type, since a knight's unusual movement lets it attack two pieces that have no way to defend each other.
What is a royal fork?
A royal fork is when a piece, usually a knight, simultaneously attacks the king and the queen, forcing the king to move and handing over the queen for free.
How do I avoid getting forked?
Watch out for knight jumps and diagonal or rank/file attacks before moving your pieces close together, and avoid leaving your king and a valuable piece a knight's-move apart.