The Everything Chess Basics Book (42 page)

White must move the king, whereupon Black pockets the queen.

King Fork

This would normally be a White win, but it is Black’s move, and he strikes out powerfully with the fork 1. ... Ke4.

White cannot save both pieces, so must lose one and with it all checkmating opportunities.

Pawn Fork

The White rooks are positioned just right for Black, who plays 1. ... f3.

Black gets one of the White rooks.

Center Fork Trick

One of the best-known combinations in the early part of the game is the center fork trick. In it, Black temporarily gives up a piece in order to regain it later with additional central control and open lines to bring out the rest of his pieces:

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Nc3.

Here is where Black gives up the piece: 4. ... Nxe4 5. Nxe4.

And here is where he regains it with the center fork trick: 5. ... d5.

Discovered Attack

This one is more complicated. It requires a player to use two friendly pieces on the same move. The way to do that is to make use of the long-range power of queen, rook, or bishop. This long-range piece is masked by almost anything at all—king, pawn, knight, rook, or bishop— and the masking piece moves out of the way.

As long as there is an enemy piece or pawn on the line that contains the long-range piece and the masking piece, we have a discovered attack.

The Attacking Piece

This is the essence of a long-range piece’s attacking power. The piece sits in an unobtrusive, out-of-the-way place, and radiates power outward. In order for a discovered attack to function, one of these pieces has to be lined up with another friendly piece in front of it, and an enemy piece further along the same line.

Here are examples of discovered attacks about to happen, using each of the long-range pieces. White moves in each case.

Queen:

White plays 1. Nf6, attacking knight and queen.

Rook:

White plays 1. Bc6, attacking rook and bishop.

Bishop:

White plays 1. Rd8!. The enemy pieces that are attacked can strike back by capturing one of the attacking pieces. But Black loses the queen or the rook no matter how the play goes.

The Masking Piece

This can be any piece except a queen—even a king or a pawn. As long as it has the power to get out of the way, you’ve got the ingredients for a discovered attack.

In the examples you just saw, a knight, bishop, and rook were used as masking pieces. Here are two more examples where a king and pawn are used as the masking piece that gets out of the way. It is White to move.

White plays 1. Kd5 and both rooks are en prise.