Day 277: Rook fork
Target rating: 961
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. Winning blow: bishop to e4 (b1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to a3 (b2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: queen to h4Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f7 (f3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e1 (c3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: king to e2 (d1)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to c5 (c1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Winning blow: knight to b7 (c5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: queen to e6 (g4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to a5 (a1·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: rook to f2 (f1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: rook to f1 (f2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: rook to f6 (f1·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: queen to a5 (f5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: rook to c7 (b7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Winning blow: rook to c7 (g7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: bishop to f5 (e6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: knight to d5 (b6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Winning blow: rook to e6 (e1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to g2 (a8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: rook to c6 (b6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: bishop to f7 (d5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: rook to a2Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: queen to g7 (e5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to g7 (h6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 278 →