Tactics · Lesson 1 of 7 · 2 min read
What Is a Fork in Chess?
By James Dulay · Updated 14 November 2026
A fork is a tactic in which one piece attacks two or more enemy pieces at the same time. Your opponent can usually save only one, so the other is lost. Forks are the most common tactic in chess.
Try it in 3DThe knight fork
Knights are the best forking pieces because their L-shaped attacks are easy to overlook and cannot be returned by the pieces they attack. Here the knight checks the king and attacks the queen. Black must move the king, and the knight then captures the queen.
A fork that includes a check is especially strong, because the opponent has no time to rescue the other piece. A knight fork on king and queen is sometimes called a royal fork.
Pawn forks
Even a pawn can fork. Because a pawn attacks diagonally, a pawn that steps between two enemy pieces can attack both. Trading a pawn worth 1 for a knight worth 3 is a big gain.
How to spot forks
Look for enemy pieces that are undefended or lined up a knight's jump apart. Ask which squares attack two of them at once, and whether you can reach that square, ideally with check. Then do the same check for your opponent before each move, so you do not walk into a fork yourself.
Practise this pattern in the interactive fork lesson, where you find the forking move on a 3D board.
Interactive lesson
Practise the fork on a 3D board
Pawnorama walks you through this lesson step by step. You make every move yourself, with hints when you need them. Free, no account needed.
Start the lessonCommon questions
Which piece forks best?
The knight and the queen. The knight because its attacks are hard to see, the queen because she attacks in eight directions.
What is a royal fork?
A knight fork that attacks both the king and the queen.