1.

[Welcome to the world of chess tactics! Our next step is to build you an arsenal of tactical weapons with which you can take on the savviest of opponents. During this part of the Academy, you'll learn how to use your pieces in coordinated attack. We'll focus on the most fundamental tactical devices: forks, skewers, pins, removing the defender, and discovered attacks. Each theme we explore will at once make sense right away and possess countless layers of subtlety which you can unearth as you learn more and more about chess. It's important to realize that these very weapons are used by the world's greatest chess players in every game they play. Now you're speaking the language of the masters.

{Y:0}{B:r1bq1bnr/ppN2kpp/2np4/3Np3/4P3/4p3/PPP2PPP/R2QKB1R w KQkq - 0 0}{Y:1}{D:1000}{D:1000}{S:d1f3}{D:1000}{A:Xf3f7}{D:1000}{R}{C}{D:1000}{S:g8f6}{D:1000}{S:f3f3}{D:1000}{A:Cf3f6}{D:1000}{A:Cf6f7}{D:1000}{R}{C}{D:1000}{S:f1c4}{D:1000}{A:Gc4d5}{D:1000}{A:Cd5f7}{D:1000}{R}{C}{D:1000}{S:c6d4}{D:1000}{A:Cd4f3}{D:1000}{A:Cd4c2}{D:1000}{A:Xc2e1}{D:1000}{A:Cc2a1}{D:1000}{R}{C}{Y:0}{B:r1bq1b1r/ppN2kpp/3p1n2/3Np3/2BnP3/4pQ2/PPP2PPP/R3K2R w KQkq - 0 0}{Y:1}{D:1000}{D:1000}{A:Gc4d5}{D:1000}{R}{C}{D:1000}{S:d5f6}{D:1000}{S:c4c4}{D:1000}{A:Xc4f7}{D:1000}{A:Gf3f6}{D:1000}{R}{C}{D:1000}{S:d6d5}{D:1000}{S:c4d5}{D:1000}{A:Xd5f7}{D:1000}{R}{C}{D:1000}{S:f7g6}{D:1000}{S:f3h5}{D:1000}{A:Gf6h5}{D:1000}{R}{C}{D:1000}{A:Xh5g6}{D:1000}{R}{C}{D:1000}{S:g6f6}{W:24-27}

]

2.

[The first component of our arsenal is called, "forks". We saw this weapon briefly in Part One. The fork is the most basic weapon in chess, and it's used at every level of play. You can envision it as a fork in the road, a branching of possibilities. Whenever one piece attacks two other pieces, it's a fork. As this course progress, we'll see numerous examples of double attacks. The fork is the most basic and essential manifestation. In general, the more valuable the other two pieces, the more powerful the fork.

{Y:0}{B:64 w KQkq - 0 0}{X:a4}{P:WRc4}{X:h2}{P:BRh2}{X:e7}{P:BRe7}{X:g5}{P:BBg5}{X:e4}{X:f3}{X:b7}{P:BNb7}{X:c7}{P:BNc7}{X:d5}{P:WPd5}{X:b7}{X:a7}{P:WQa7}{X:b3}{P:WKb3}{X:h7}{P:BKh7}{X:f5}{P:WPf5}{X:f5}{P:WNf5}{X:f4}{P:WNf4}{X:f5}{X:h7}{X:f7}{P:BKf7}{S:b3a3}{Y:1}{D:1000}{S:d5d6}{D:1000}{A:Cd6c7}{D:1000}{A:Cd6e7}{D:1000}{R}{C}{D:1000}{S:c7b5}{D:1000}{S:b5b5}{D:1000}{A:Cb5a7}{D:1000}{A:Xb5a3}{D:1000}{R}{C}{D:1000}{S:a3b4}{D:1000}{S:b5a7}{D:1000}{S:d6e7}{D:1000}{S:g5e7}{D:1000}{A:Xe7b4}{D:1000}{R}{C}{D:1000}{S:b4c3}{D:1000}{S:h2h4}{D:1000}{S:c4c7}{D:1000}{D:1000}{A:Cc7a7}{D:1000}{A:Cc7e7}{D:1000}{R}{C}{D:3000}{S:a7b5}{A:Cb5c7}{A:Xb5c3}{D:3000}{R}{S:c3d3}{D:1000}{S:b5c7}{D:1000}{W:243abc}

]

3.

[In this position, the white knight forks the black king and queen. This is a royal fork and the strongest of all possibilities. In general, the more valuable the other two pieces, the more powerful the fork. In this section, we're going to focus on knight forks, because this is the hardest piece to get used to; but first, let's look at some basic forks, where other pieces do the damage.

{B:8/8/2q3k1/4N3/8/8/8/4K3}{D:1000}{A:Ce5g6}{A:Ce5c6}{D:10000}{Y:0}{B:rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 0}{X:a8}{X:b8}{X:c8}{X:d8}{X:e8}{X:f8}{X:g8}{X:h8}{X:a7}{X:b7}{X:c7}{X:d7}{X:e7}{X:f7}{X:g7}{X:h7}{X:a2}{X:b2}{X:c2}{X:d2}{X:e2}{X:f2}{X:g2}{X:h2}{X:a1}{X:b1}{X:c1}{X:d1}{X:e1}{X:f1}{X:g1}{X:h1}{X:h1}{X:b3}{P:BKb3}{X:d3}{P:BRd3}{X:e4}{P:WNe4}{X:c7}{P:BBc7}{X:g5}{P:BQg5}{X:h4}{P:BPh4}{X:h4}{X:g5}{X:f8}{P:BQf8}{X:a6}{P:BRa6}{X:b5}{P:BBb5}{X:e8}{P:WBe8}{X:a6}{X:a8}{P:BRa8}{Y:1}{D:1000}{S:e4c5}{D:1000}{A:Cc5d3}{A:Xc5b3}{D:1000}{R}{C}{D:1000}{S:b3c4}{D:1000}{S:c5e6}{D:1000}{A:Ce6f8}{A:Ce6c7}{D:1000}{R}{W:243d}

]

4.

[

{B:k7/8/8/3r4/8/3K1n1P/8/7R}{V:{SAVE}In this position, white is in check, but could turn the tables on black. What is white's best move? {D:1000}{A:Cd5d3}{H:d3}{D:2000}{C}{R}{W:244a};

$King E4 forks the black knight and rook, and they cannot defend each other. You see the king can be a weapon too. In fact, towards the end of the game, we often use the king actively like this. In the beginning of a chess game, we want to defend our king, keep him safe, but when the board empties and there's less danger, he becomes a powerful piece that should be used actively.

  {C}{R}{S:d3e4}{A:Ce4d5}{A:Ce4f3}{W:244b}{W:sil1000}{J}

$d3e4;That's right! King E4 forks the black knight and rook, and they cannot defend each other. You see the king can be a weapon too. In fact, towards the end of the game, we often use the king actively like this. In the beginning of a chess game, we want to defend our king, keep him safe, but when the board empties and there's less danger, he becomes a powerful piece that should be used actively.

  {R}{A:Ce4d5}{A:Ce4f3}{D:3000}{R}{S:d5h5}{D:3000}{S:e4f3}

  {W:thatsright}{W:244b}{W:sil1000}{J};

$c Incorrect. Remember, we are trying to ‘turn the tables’ on black, not just move out of check. {C}{R}{W:notquiteit2}{RETRY};

Look for a fork...}

]

5.

[

{B:k7/6pp/5p2/1n1r4/5B1P/6P1/2P2P2/5RK1}{V:{SAVE}Do you see any forks for white here?{W:245a};

$Here 1.c4! forks the knight and rook!

  {S:c2c4}{A:Cc4b5}{A:Cc4d5}{W:245b}{W:sil1000}{J}

$c2c4;You got it! 

Here 1.c4! forks the knight and rook!

  {A:Cc4b5}{A:Cc4d5}{W:yougotit}{W:245b}{W:sil1000}{J};

$c Incorrect. Remember, a fork is when two pieces are attacked by one.

  {W:notquiteright}{RETRY};

Look for pawn moves!}

]

6.

[

{B:1k6/5p1p/1b2p3/4P1R1/P7/8/7P/2K5 b}{V:{SAVE}It's black to move here. Do you see any forks?{W:246a};

$Bishop E3 check wins the white rook.

  {S:b6e3}{A:Ce3c1}{A:Ce3g5} 

  {D:1000}{R}{S:c1d1}{D:1000}{S:e3g5}{W:246b}{W:sil1000}{J}

$b6e3;Well done! 

Bishop E3 check wins the white rook.

  {A:Ce3c1}{A:Ce3g5} {D:1000}{R}{S:c1d1}

  {D:1000}{S:e3g5}{W:welldone}{W:246b}{W:sil1000}{J};

$c Incorrect. Remember, a fork is when two pieces are attacked by one.

  {R}{W:notquiteit2}{RETRY};

f7f6:$c Ok, that's a fork - but there's an even better move for black.

  {R}{A:Cf6e5}{A:Cf6g5}{W:theresbetter}{R}{S:e5f6}{W:sil500}{RETRY};

Look for a bishop move.}

]

7.

[

{B:7B/k7/1b6/1r6/2K5/8/3P4/7N b}{V:{SAVE}Do you see any forks for black here?{W:248a};

$Rook H5 forks the bishop and knight. This example shows how powerful a rook can be on an open board, forking pieces on opposite sides.

  {S:b5h5}{A:Ch5h1}{A:Ch5h8}{W:248b}{W:sil1000}{J}

$b5h5;Very good! Rook H5 forks the bishop and knight. This example shows how powerful a rook can be on an open board, forking pieces on opposite sides.

  {A:Ch5h1}{A:Ch5h8}{W:verygood}{W:248b}{R}{W:sil1000}{J};

$cIncorrect. Remember, a fork is when two pieces are attacked by one. 

  {W:notquiteit}{RETRY};

Your rook is attacked, so it may be a rook move!}

]

8.

[

{B:k5r1/8/8/8/8/8/3Q4/5K2}{V:{SAVE}Here white can win the black rook with a queen fork, but there are two right ways and two wrong ways. Be careful. What's white's best move?   {W:249a};

$One of the two right moves is queen A2 check, winning the rook. The queen is a very powerful attacker and can be devastating with long range forks. The other fork which would win the rook is queen D5 check.   {S:d2a2}{A:Ca2a8}{A:Ca2g8}{D:2000}{D:2000}{R}{D:3000}{S:a2d2}

  {D:1000}{S:d2d5}{A:Cd5a8}{A:Cd5g8}{W:249d}{W:sil1000}{J}

$d2a2;That's right! 

One of the two right moves is queen A2 check, winning the rook. The queen is a very powerful attacker and can be devastating with long range forks. The other fork which would win the rook is queen D5 check. 

  {A:Ca2a8}{A:Ca2g8}{D:2000}{D:2000}{R}{D:3000}{S:a2d2}

  {D:1000}{S:d2d5}{A:Cd5a8}{A:Cd5g8}{W:thatsright2}{W:249d}{W:sil1000}{J};

$c Incorrect. Remember, a fork is when two pieces are attacked by one.

 {W:notquiteit}{RETRY};

d2d8:$cNo, that's not quite it. Queen D8 check attacks both pieces but would be a terrible mistake, because the black rook could capture, rook takes D8.

  {A:Cd8a8}{A:Cd8g8}{D:1500}{R}{S:g8d8}{W:notquiteit}{W:249b}{RETRY};

d2d5:$c Very good! 

One of the two right moves is queen D5 check, winning the rook. The queen is a very powerful attacker and can be devastating with long range forks. Do you see the other one?

  {W:verygood}{W:249c}{RETRY};

d2g2:$cIncorrect. While this is a fork, this would be a terrible mistake because the black rook could capture 1…Rxg2.

  {A:Cg2a8}{A:Cg2g8}{D:1500}{R}{S:g8g2}{W:notquiteright}{RETRY};

Think like a bishop...}

]

9.

[

{B:2k5/3q4/8/8/8/8/2N5/K5R1 b}{V:{SAVE}This next position is similar to the last one, but with a wrinkle. Here black has one way to win the white rook, but there are three tempting but wrong tries. Take your time with this one. Find the best move.{W:250a};

$The solution is queen A7 check, operating on a long diagonal and a long file to win the rook.

  {S:d7a7}{A:Ca7a1}{A:Ca7g1}{D:2000}{R}

  {S:a1b2}{S:a7g1}{W:250b}{W:sil1000}{J}

$d7a7;Vey good! The solution is queen A7 check, operating on a long diagonal and a long file to win the rook.

  {A:Ca7a1}{A:Ca7g1}{D:2000}{R}{S:a1b2}{S:a7g1}

  {W:verygood}{W:250b}{W:sil1000}{J};

$c Incorrect. Remember, your goal here is to win the rook.

  {W:notquiteright}{RETRY};

d7d4:$cQueen D4 check? No, queen D4 check isn't right because the knight guards that square. 

  {A:Cd4a1}{A:Cd4g1}{D:1500}{R}{S:c2d4}{W:250c}{RETRY};

d7d1:$cNo, queen D1 check is a try, but the rook can take the queen. That doesn't work.

  {A:Cd1a1}{A:Cd1g1}{D:1500}{R}{S:g1d1}{W:250e}{RETRY};

d7g7:$cQueen G7 check does attack the king and rook, but the rook can capture the queen.

  {A:Cg7a1}{A:Cg7g1}{D:1500}{R}{S:g1g7}{W:250d}{RETRY};

Think of all long range attacks possible.}

]

10.

[

{B:2B5/8/5R2/N7/8/8/3K2R1/7N}{IJ:In this exercise, click on every square where the black queen can attack two or more white pieces, without getting captured. Be careful.{W:251};

a1a2a8b2b4c5c7d4d5d8e5h4h5h8;Good work!{W:goodwork};That’s not all of them.;

Be careful! That square is defended!;

a3a4a7b1b3b5b8c4d3e3e4e7e8f7g3h7:Incorrect. A black queen placed here won't attack two or more white pieces.}

]

