Chess tactics pattern
Knight fork chess puzzle
A knight fork attacks two valuable targets at once. The strongest forks often begin with check because the opponent must answer the king threat before saving another piece.
Check first, capture second
In ChessPuzzler’s Knight Fork position, Black plays Ne2+. The forcing check moves the king away, after which Nxc3 wins White’s queen.
When looking for a fork, identify checking squares first and confirm that the knight cannot simply be captured. Then calculate where the king will move and whether the second target remains available.
What this pattern teaches
Knight geometry is easy to overlook because knights jump over occupied squares. Repeated practice helps you recognize fork squares around kings, queens, and rooks before the opportunity appears in a game.