What is a Fork?

Fork only happens when one piece attacks two or more enemy pieces at the same time. For example, a knight might jump to a square where it attacks both the king and the rook. Since your opponent can only move one piece away, the other piece is left behind and can be captured.

Definition:

Forks create two threats in one move. Imagine placing your knight in a position where it attacks both a rook and a queen. Since your opponent cannot move both pieces at once - even if they move the more valuable piece, you still win material.

Note: learning to look for squares where one piece can attack multiple targets will help you find forks during real games.

Why forks are powerful?