Day 642: Rook fork
Target rating: 1432
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: queen to c8 (b8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Winning blow: knight to g8 (e7·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Winning blow: queen to g7 (h8·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Winning blow: queen to f8 (b8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Winning blow: pawn to d3 (c2·20)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Winning blow: queen to c6 (c3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e5 (e2·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Mate in 2: queen to g7 (c3·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Winning blow: knight to a4 (c5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Mate in 2: rook to h7 (h5·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Winning blow: rook to c5 (c1·12)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to g6 (g5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Winning blow: bishop to d6 (h2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to c5 (g1·5)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: rook to e3 (b3·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Win the hanging queen on e1Analysis
Black to move — find the best continuation
17. Winning blow: rook to g7 (g3·11)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: queen to d8 (h8·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to e7 (e1·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Winning blow: rook to e1 (g1·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Winning blow: rook to c6 (e6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Winning blow: queen to g6 (c2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Winning blow: rook to f8 (g8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Winning blow: bishop to e4 (g6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e7 (h4·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 643 →