«Chess holds its master in its own bonds, shackling the mind and brain so that the inner freedom of the grandmaster is very rare.» — Albert Einstein
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Puzzle #33: Fork

Rating ≈ 1300 · 2 moves to find

Black to move and win material.

Puzzle position: Black to move and win material.♜︎♞︎♝︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
Show a hint

Look for a move that attacks two things at once.

Show the solution
  1. 13… Nxf2+ — the knight takes the rook on f2 with check and at the same time attacks the queen on d1.
  2. 14. Kg1 is the only legal move.
  3. 14… Nxd1+ — the knight takes the queen on d1 and uncovers a check from the bishop on c5.

Why it works. One piece attacks two targets at once and the opponent can only save one. At the end of the line Black is about 14 points of material better off.

Themes: Hanging piece, Fork, Discovered attack, Winning material

Want to recognise this pattern faster? Read the guide.

This position comes from a training game and was checked with a chess engine: every move you need to find is the only one that works.

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