«Chess holds its its master in its own bonds, shackling the mind and brain so that the inner freedom of the strongest must suffer.» — Albert Einstein
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Puzzle #93: Fork

Rating ≈ 1850 · 3 moves to find

White to move and win material.

Puzzle position: White to move and win material.♜︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♚︎a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
Show a hint

Look for a move that attacks two things at once.

Show the solution
  1. 26. Nd5 — the knight goes to d5 attacking the bishop on f4 and the knight on f6.
  2. 26… Nxd5 is the best defence.
  3. 27. exd5 — the pawn takes the knight on d5.
  4. 27… Qb7 is the best defence.
  5. 28. Rxf4 — the rook takes the bishop on f4.

Why it works. One piece attacks two targets at once and the opponent can only save one. At the end of the line White is about 3 points of material better off.

Themes: Fork, Decoy, 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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