Fork (chess)
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In chess, a fork is a tactic in which a piece Template:Chessgloss multiple enemy pieces simultaneously. The attacker usually aims to capture one of the forked pieces. The defender often cannot counter every threat. A fork is most effective when it is Template:Chessgloss, such as when the king is put in check. A fork is a type of Template:Chessgloss. Template:AN chess
Terminology
A fork is an example of a Template:Chessgloss. The type of fork is named after the type of forking piece. For example, a fork by a knight is a knight fork. The attacked pieces are forked.[1] If the king is one of the attacked pieces, the term absolute fork is sometimes used, while a fork not involving the enemy king is a relative fork.[2]
A fork of the king and queen, the highest Template:Chessgloss-gaining fork possible, is sometimes called a royal fork. A fork of the enemy king, queen, and one (or both) rooks is sometimes called a grand fork. A knight fork of the enemy king, queen, and possibly other pieces is sometimes called a family fork or family check.[3][4]
Strategy
While any piece can deliver a fork, knights are particularly effective as the forking piece because they cannot be captured by the non-knight pieces they attack, and as a Template:Chessgloss they are less valuable than rooks and queens.[5][6]
Compared to forks by other pieces, a queen fork requires more specific conditions to be helpful due to the queen's higher value. A queen fork can often lead to material or positional gain, however, when the forked pieces are undefended, poorly coordinated, or when one piece is the king.
Game examples
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This example is from the first round of the FIDE World Chess Championship 2004 between Mohamed Tissir and Alexey Dreev.[7] After
- 33... Nf2+ 34. Kg1 Nd3
White resigned. In the final position the black knight forks White's queen and rook; after the queen moves away, Black will win the exchange.
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This example is from the ninth round of the Clarin GP Final between Guillermo Soppe and Fernando Braga.[8] After
- 40... Qh1+
White resigned. The only move is 41.Ke2 which enables a royal fork with 41...Nc3+, winning the queen.
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In the Two Knights Defense (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6) after 4.Nc3, Black can eliminate White's e4-pawn immediately with
- 4... Nxe4Template:Chesspunc
due to the fork trick
- 5. Nxe4 d5
regaining either the bishop or the knight.
References
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