Day 229: Rook fork
Target rating: 900
Lesson of the day
A rook fork attacks two targets from one square — one along the file, the other along the rank. Look for enemy pieces standing at a right angle to each other, both visible from a single safe square. This is bread and butter in endgames, where a rook check picks up loose pieces and pawns along the way. Test every rook check you have: does it also hit something valuable on the other line?
Warm-up
1. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to g5 (c1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to d5 (h1·13)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to c5 (g1·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to e4 (c2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e3 (e1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to a5 (b4·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to h3 (g2·36)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: king to d2 (e1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to d8 (d1·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Winning blow: rook to h5Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to g4 (h4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to g2 (g1·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: rook to e5 (f5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: rook to e3 (h3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: rook to d6 (e6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to b6 (f2·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Fork: knight to e7 (c6·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to b7 (a6·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to b7 (h1·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: bishop to g2 (c6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Fork: bishop to e3 (d4)Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: pawn to f5 (g4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: bishop to a5 (c3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to e2 (c3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to g7 (d4·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 230 →