Chess Tactical Motifs - The Knight Fork

The next tactical motif we'll look at is the Knight Fork. A Knight fork occurs when a Knight attacks two or more pieces at once. We're considering Knight forks separately from other forks because they are often difficult for beginners and novices to spot.

Knight forks can often be devastating. Because the Knight moves in a unique way, it can attack other pieces without being threatened by them. Take the example to the right. White is down in material, and looks to be on the ropes. But he can land a crushing blow with 1. Ne7+. This move forks the King and the Queen (also known as a Royal Fork).

Because of the way the Knight moves and attacks, the Queen is helpless to capture the unprotected Knight on e7. The King must move out of check, and the female monarch falls.

The next page has some exercises to work through. Practice Knight forks carefully - they commonly occur in beginner and novice games.