Fork chess puzzles
20 fork puzzles from real games, ordered from easy to hard. Each has a hint and the full solution.
What is a fork in chess?
A fork is a single move that attacks two or more enemy pieces at the same time. The opponent can usually save only one of them. Knights are the most famous forking piece, but every piece, even a pawn or the king, can fork.
How to spot a fork
Look for two loose (unprotected) pieces, or a king and another piece, that sit a knight’s jump, a diagonal or a line apart. Then ask which of your pieces can reach the square that hits both.
Learn it first: Knight, king and pawn · The safety check before every move · Double attacks and forks · Checks, captures, threats (CCT) · Forks with every piece · Annotate first, engine second · Tracking your mistakes
Fork chess puzzles
Puzzle 1: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 28... Nb4.
Puzzle rating 589
Hint
Theme: fork, endgame tactic
Show solution
29. Ne7+ Kf7 30. Nxc8
FEN: 2r3k1/p5p1/2p3N1/2Pp4/1n4Pp/5P1P/1PP2B2/5K2 w - - 1 29
Puzzle 2: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 40. Rc3.
Puzzle rating 846
Hint
Theme: fork, endgame tactic
Show solution
40... Ne2+ 41. Kg2 Nxc3
FEN: 6k1/3R4/p7/1p2p1p1/1Pb1Pn1b/P1R2P2/7P/6K1 b - - 1 40
Puzzle 3: White to move and mate in 3
White to move and mate in 3. The opponent just played 22... Bf5.
Puzzle rating 982
Hint
Theme: mate in 3, fork, exposed king
Show solution
23. Be5+ Rxe5 24. Qxe5+ f6 25. Qxf6#
FEN: r3r2k/ppp2p1P/6p1/2b2b2/5B2/2Pq4/PP1N2PQ/R1K4R w - - 7 23
Puzzle 4: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 53. Rd2.
Puzzle rating 1135
Hint
Theme: fork, deflection, queen and rook endgame
Show solution
53... Qh2+ 54. Kf1 Qh1+ 55. Ke2 Qxg2+ 56. Ke3 Qxc6
FEN: 8/6k1/2RP3p/7q/1P6/P5p1/3R2P1/6K1 b - - 1 53
Puzzle 5: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 45. Re1.
Puzzle rating 1146
Hint
Theme: fork, attraction (decoy), endgame tactic
Show solution
45... Rxe1+ 46. Kxe1 Bc3+ 47. Kd1 Bxa5
FEN: 8/6p1/5bk1/N6p/8/1P6/6PP/3rRK2 b - - 2 45
Puzzle 6: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 22... Rc8.
Puzzle rating 1334
Hint
Theme: fork, endgame tactic
Show solution
23. Nb6+ Kc7 24. Nxc8
FEN: 2r5/3k1ppp/R3p3/3pP3/N4n2/1P6/P5PP/6K1 w - - 1 23
Puzzle 7: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 24. Kf2.
Puzzle rating 1419
Hint
Theme: fork, X-ray attack, middlegame tactic
Show solution
24... Nd1+ 25. Rxd1 Rxd1
FEN: 3r1rk1/R4pp1/1p2p2p/2n5/3R1P2/P3nBP1/PB2PK1P/8 b - - 1 24
Puzzle 8: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 33. h4.
Puzzle rating 1533
Hint
Theme: fork, endgame tactic
Show solution
33... f5+ 34. Kf4 Ne6+ 35. Ke5 Nxc7
FEN: 8/2R2p1p/6pk/6n1/6KP/2B1P1P1/1P6/7r b - - 0 33
Puzzle 9: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 40... Kg8.
Puzzle rating 1640
Hint
Theme: fork, exposed king, endgame tactic
Show solution
41. Bd5+ Kf8 42. Rf7+ Ke8 43. Bxb3
FEN: 6k1/4R3/p7/6pK/P2pB2p/1r1P2b1/8/8 w - - 2 41
Puzzle 10: Black to move and mate in 3
Black to move and mate in 3. The opponent just played 16. Nxf4.
Puzzle rating 1655
Hint
Theme: mate in 3, fork, X-ray attack
Show solution
16... Nxf4 17. Qg3 Bxg2+ 18. Qxg2 Qxg2#
FEN: r4rk1/1pp2ppp/8/p1bP2qn/2P1PN2/2N4b/PPB3PP/R1B1QR1K b - - 0 16
Puzzle 11: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 16. Na5.
Puzzle rating 1817
Hint
Theme: fork, clearance, middlegame tactic
Show solution
16... Bxf4 17. Qxf4 Qc5+ 18. Kh1 Qxa5
FEN: 3r1rk1/1ppbqppp/p1pb1n2/N7/4PB2/P1N2P2/1PPQ2PP/R2R2K1 b - - 6 16
Puzzle 12: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 19. Qxc6.
Puzzle rating 1895
Hint
Theme: fork, pin, deflection
Show solution
19... Qxf2+ 20. Kd2 Rad8+ 21. Kc2 Qxe3
FEN: r4rk1/2p4p/2Q1bqp1/pp6/7P/2P1N3/PP2BPP1/R3K1NR b KQ - 0 19
Puzzle 13: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 18... Qg6.
Puzzle rating 1986
Hint
Theme: fork, sacrifice, attacking f2/f7
Show solution
19. Bxf7+ Qxf7 20. Rd8+ Ke7 21. Qxf7+
FEN: r1b1k2r/1p3ppp/1pp3q1/4p3/1PB1Pn2/1QP2N1P/P2R1PP1/5RK1 w kq - 6 19
Puzzle 14: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 29... Nc4.
Puzzle rating 2060
Hint
Theme: fork, capturing the defender, endgame tactic
Show solution
30. Ne7+ Kh8 31. Nxc8 Ne5 32. Rxc7 Nxf3+ 33. gxf3
FEN: 2r2rk1/pppR1ppp/8/5N2/2n5/2P2R1P/P5P1/6K1 w - - 6 30
Puzzle 15: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 31... hxg5.
Puzzle rating 2150
Hint
Theme: fork, deflection, intermezzo (zwischenzug)
Show solution
32. Qh3+ Kg8 33. Nxg5 Qxg5 34. Qxe6+ Kh7 35. Qxc8
FEN: 2r2b1k/4q1p1/p3p3/1p2p1p1/1P2N3/P2Q4/6PK/5R2 w - - 0 32
Puzzle 16: Black to move and mate in 2
Black to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 36. Qg8.
Puzzle rating 2230
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, fork, advanced pawn
Show solution
36... Qe4+ 37. Bg2 hxg2#
FEN: 6Q1/1p1R4/pp3r1k/2P1pp2/1P5q/P3P1pp/2R2p2/5B1K b - - 5 36
Puzzle 17: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 15. Bd2.
Puzzle rating 2291
Hint
Theme: fork, discovered attack, middlegame tactic
Show solution
15... Nxe2+ 16. Kh1 Nxc1 17. Bxa5 Bxf1
FEN: 5rk1/3pppbp/b1n3p1/q1P5/8/2n2NP1/P2BPPBP/R1Q2RK1 b - - 1 15
Puzzle 18: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 21... Qxb2.
Puzzle rating 2373
Hint
Theme: fork, middlegame tactic
Show solution
22. Nxe6 Bxe3 23. Re2 Bxf2+ 24. Rxf2 Qxf2+ 25. Kxf2
FEN: r4rk1/5pp1/p3b2p/2bpP3/R2N4/4B2P/1q3PP1/3QR1K1 w - - 0 22
Puzzle 19: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 22. Nd4.
Puzzle rating 2428
Hint
Theme: fork, quiet move, middlegame tactic
Show solution
22... f3 23. Nxf3 Rg6 24. Nh4 Qxe2 25. Nxg6+ hxg6
FEN: r6k/ppp1b1pp/5r2/4p3/3NPpq1/P7/1PP1QPN1/R1B2RK1 b - - 1 22
Puzzle 20: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 38... Rhe8.
Puzzle rating 2701
Hint
Theme: fork, deflection, attraction (decoy)
Show solution
39. Qxb5+ Kxb5 40. Nxc7+ Kb6 41. Nxd5+ Kb7 42. Nxf6
FEN: 1r2r3/2p5/1kn1Nqp1/1n1p3p/1p1P2PP/1P3P2/NKR1Q3/R7 w - - 1 39