Can you find and set up knight forks?
1 move deep
[Event "analysis: visualisation"]
[Site "analysis: visualisation"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "knight fork combination"]
[Black "one move deep"]
[Result "1-0"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r3k3/3n4/1p6/3N4/2R2P2/4K3/8/8 w q - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "0"]
{Easy enough I hope: if you know the pattern, it should jump out at you.} 1-0
2 moves deep
[Event "analysis: visualisation"]
[Site "analysis: visualisation"]
[Date "1949.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "knight fork combination"]
[Black "chernev/reinfeld"]
[Result "1-0"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6k1/8/8/Q2n2q1/6N1/5P2/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "3"]
{You need the basic pattern, plus another idea: playing a forcing move to set
up the winning fork. Forcing moves are things like checks and captures (or
both!)} 1. Qxd4+ (1. Qa7+ {forks King and Knight, but the Knight is protected
by the Queen.}) 1... Qxd4 2. Nf5+ 1-0
3 moves deep
[pgn autoplaymode=none]
[Event "analysis: visualisation"]
[Site "analysis: visualisation"]
[Date "1949.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "knight fork combination"]
[Black "chernev-reinfeld"]
[Result "1-0"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r3k1/pppbq2p/2np4/8/3PnNpP/3Q2P1/PPP5/R4RK1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
{Same ideas: forcing moves set up a winning Knight fork. On which square will
the fork take place? Can you arrange it?} 1. Nd5 Qe6 2. Qxe4 Qxe4 3. Nf6+ 1-0
[/pgn]
[h3]4 moves deep[/h3]
[Event "analysis: visualisation"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1883.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "knight fork combination"]
[Black "zukertort_englisch"]
[Result "1-0"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4k3/p1P3p1/2q1np1p/3N4/8/1Q3PP1/6KP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "1883.??.??"]
1. Qb5 Qxb5 2. c8=Q+ Kf7 3. Qxe6+ Kxe6 4. Nc7+ Kd7 5. Nxb5 1-0
5 moves deep
[Event "analysis: visualisation"]
[Site "analysis: visualisation"]
[Date "1948.??.??"]
[Round "5"]
[White "knight fork combination"]
[Black "kofman-sakketi, cor"]
[Result "1-0"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2k5/ppp2p1p/8/8/2Nb4/6qP/PP6/3RR2K w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
{White resigned, but... you know by now, a series of 4 forcing moves set up a
fork on move 5! This was a postal game, so White had all day to think this
through, or even all week...} 1. Re8+ $1 (1. Rxd4 Qxe1+ 2. Kg2 (2. Kh2 Qf2+))
1... Kd7 2. Re3 $1 (2. Rxd4+ Kxe8) 2... Qg7 3. Rxd4+ $1 (3. Ne5+) 3... Qxd4 4.
Rd3 $1 Qxd3 5. Ne5+ 1-0
Still with me? Take a deep breath.... Black to move!
6 moves deep
[Event "analysis: visualisation"]
[Site "analysis: visualisation"]
[Date "1909.??.??"]
[Round "6"]
[White "knight fork combination"]
[Black "schlechter-mieses"]
[Result "0-1"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2k4r/pppr1ppp/3bp3/4P1q1/2QP2n1/P4R2/1P2N1PP/2RN2K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "11"]
{...Qh4 threatens two different mates, but it's not enough by itself.} 1...
Bxe5 2. dxe5 Qh4 (2... Nxe5) 3. Rg3 (3. Rh3 Qe1#) (3. h3 {is slightly better,
but comes to the same thing:} Qe1+ 4. Rf1 Qxf1+ 5. Kxf1 Rxd1+ 6. Rxd1 Ne3+ {
with two extra pawns and a winning endgame} 7. Ke1 Nxc4) 3... Qxh2+ 4. Kf1
Rxd1+ 5. Rxd1 Qxg3 6. Nxg3 Ne3+ {with three extra pawns and a winning endgame}
0-1
7 moves deep
[Event "analysis: visualisation"]
[Site "analysis: visualisation"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "7"]
[White "knight fork study"]
[Black "chekhover"]
[Result "1-0"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1q6/8/8/8/4k3/5N2/8/K6Q w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
{White combines threats of skewers and forks to win the Queen.} 1. Ne5+ Ke3 (
1... Kf5 2. Qh3+ $1 Ke4 (2... Kf6 3. Nd7+) 3. Qf3+ Kd4 4. Nc6+) (1... Kf4 2.
Qf3+ Kg5) 2. Qe1+ Kf4 3. Qf2+ Kg5 4. Qg3+ Kf5 5. Qg4+ Kxe5 6. Qg3+ Kf5 7. Qxb8
1-0
What a fine piece of art, using such simple material!
However far you can go, aim to be able to do one more by practising!