Adapted from the Chess Skills leaflets, produced for the British Chess Federation by JE Littlewood and RA Furness. Developed from the Tactics for Juniors sheets originally prepared by RG Wade, R Bott and S Morrison. Double Attack or Fork When one of your pieces attacks not just one but two of your opponent’s pieces. &àç è' 767nJ76<6| m:7676767 7676:676z É6:676:67y 76D676:6x m8767 !767w #7m8767m88m8v %6K67nG767u ,*+,-./012 White plays his Queen to g5, with a double attack on the Black King and Rook. After the King moves, White plays, 2. Qxd8, winning the Rook. Find the Double Attack In these positions, the player to move has an immediate double attack. 1. White to move 2. White to move &àç è' &àç è' J676<347nJ| J67676<6| 67m:7gD:m:: m:7676:m:: :6:m:4oL76z 7m:767666z É676767377y É67676767y 76768676x 7676J676x 67oN76767w 67676767w #8m8867m88m8v #8m8767m88m8v %nG76=6GsK7u %nG7676GsK7u ,*+,-./012 ,*+,-./012 3. Black to move 4. Black to move &àç è' &àç è' 76767676| JoL4gD<346nJ| m:76767oL7 m::6:6:m:: 7nJ767s<76z 76767676z É6:676:67y É6767oN767y 76767nG:6x 767m:8676x 68676767w 67676767w #8sK767m886v #8m8867m88m8v %67676767u %nG837=sK76Gu ,*+,-./012 ,*+,-./012 5. White to move 6. White to move &àç è' &àç è' J67gD<346nJ| 7s<76J67nJ| m::m:7m::m:: 6:67676: 76664676z :676734:6z É67676767y É67676:67y 768m87676x 76767676x 67oN76767w 67m876767w #8m8767m88m8v #8m87 !7m88m8v %nG737=sK7oNGu %676G6GsK7u ,*+,-./012 ,*+,-./012 7. Black to move 8. Black to move &àç è' &àç è' 767nJ7nJ<6| 7nJ7676<6| m::m:734:m:: 6:676734: 76667676z :6:676:6z É67676767y ÉoN7666:377y 76767676x 76767686x m8867m8767w 68686768w #737768m88m8v #86867m8K6v %67nG76GsK7u %6767nG767u ,*+,-./012 ,*+,-./012 In these four positions, the player to move has a forcing move, with a double attack to follow. 9. White to move 10. White to move &àç è' &àç è' 7nJ767nJ<6| J67gD6nJ<6| m:76767m:: m::m:734:m:7 7m:76:676z 767m:767m:z É67m:76D67y ÉoL7686767y 76767m846x 76767676x 67oN7 !767w 67m876867w #8m886768m8v #86767m88m8v %67sK76GnG7u %nG737=nG7sK7u ,*+,-./012 ,*+,-./012 11. Black to move 12. Black to move &àç è' &àç è' 7676D6<6| J67gDJ6<6| m::oLJ347m:: m::676:6: 76:67m:76z 76:64oL:6z É676:6867y É67m87m:767y 8oN767686x 767oL8m876x 676767 !8w 68oN=6767w #7m88377m876v #867oN768m8v %6K67676Gu %nG7676GsK7u ,*+,-./012 ,*+,-./012 In these four positions, the double attack could be on the first, second or even third move! 13. White to move 14. White to move &àç è' &àç è' J64gD7nJ<6| 76767676| m:7m:734:m:: 67m:767m:7 7m:76:oL76z 767m:7nJ7s<z É676767377y É6767676Jy 767m87676x 76767m876x 67676867w 67676767w #8m886=m88m8v #7m87nG7686v %nG767sK76Gu %6K6G6767u ,*+,-./012 ,*+,-./012 15. Black to move 16. Black to move &àç è' &àç è' J64gD7nJ<6| 76<66676| m::6:34:m:: 6:3476:67 76:67oL76z :6:6767m:z É67676767y É67676767y 767m88676x 76867m87m8x 67676767w 67oN76G377w #8m886=m88m8v #8m88676J6v %nG73776GsK7u %67sK76767u ,*+,-./012 ,*+,-./012 Answers 1. Bxc6+ with a double attack on the Black King and Rook. 2. Bd5 forking the two Black Rooks. 3. Ke5 with a double attack on the White Rook and Bishop. 4. Qa5+ forking the White King and the Knight on e5. 5. d5 with a double attack on the Black Knight and Bishop. 6. Qd6+ attacking the King and Bishop. 7. Rd2 attacking the White Bishop and Knight. 8. Bc3 forking the White Rook and Knight. 9. 1 h3 attacks the Black Bishop, which moves to the safety of h5. White then forks the Bishop and Queen with 2 g4. 10. 1 Qa4 attacks the Knight on a5. It has no safe square to move to, so Black protects it by b6. White then plays 2 Qe4, threatening Qh7 checkmate and Qxe7, winning a bishop. 11. 1… Bxb4 2 Bxb4 Qe4 forking the White Bishop on b4 and the Rook. 12. 1… Nxe2+. If White replies 2 Nxe2, Black plays Qxd3. If White replies 2 Qxe2, Black plays Qd4+ forking the King and unprotected Knight on c3. 13. 1 Bxf6 Bxf6 (or gxf6) 2 Qe4 threatens mate on h7 and the Black rook on a8. 14. g4 attacks the Black rook. Where ever it moves, White then plays g5+, forking the King and other Rook. 15. 1… Nxe4 2 Qxe4 d5 forking the White Queen and Bishop (not 1… d5, else 2 Nxf6+ Bxf6 3 Bd3) 16. 1… Rxg3 2 Rxg3 Bxf4+ with a double attack on the White King and Rook. .