Day 87: Rook fork
Target rating: 721
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: pawn to e5 (f4·27)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
2. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to f4 (g3·33)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
3. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e6 (d5·15)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
4. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e6 (d5·16)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
5. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to a3 (b2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
6. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to d5 (e4·41)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
7. Winning blow: king to d3Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
8. Attack on the uncastled king: knight to b5 (c3·7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
9. Attack on the uncastled king: king to d1Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
10. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e6 (f5·9)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Core set
11. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to f7 (g7)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
12. Winning blow: pawn to e6 (d5·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
13. Attack on the uncastled king: rook to e8 (e2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
14. Winning blow: rook to e8 (e6·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
15. Winning blow: rook to d2 (d1·4)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
16. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to e5 (d4·15)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
17. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to f6 (e5·6)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
18. Winning blow: bishop to c2Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
19. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to g5 (f4·14)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
20. Attack on the uncastled king: queen to e4 (e2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
21. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to g5 (f4·15)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
22. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to d3 (e2·3)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
23. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to g3 (h2·8)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
24. Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to d4 (g1·2)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
25. Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to d5 (c4·47)Analysis
White to move — find the best continuation
Challenge
Review
Day complete — every puzzle solved. See you tomorrow!
Day 88 →