How to train chess forks

A fork is one move that attacks two things. Knights fork from an L. Queens fork along a rank, file, or diagonal. The pattern is the same: two targets, one attacker, and the square between them is safe.

Start with the knight. From the square you are looking at, name the eight landings. You only need the ones that touch two enemy pieces, or a piece and the king. If a landing is attacked by a pawn, throw it out.

Do twelve fork puzzles where you must move before thirty seconds. If you miss two, drop to an easier set and repeat those exact positions the next day. New puzzles before the old ones are clean just hide the leak.

Then add the queen. The queen fork is usually a discovered geometry: the king and an undefended piece on the same line. Look for the loose piece first, then ask whether the king shares a line with it.

A useful week is four short sessions, not one long one. Twelve puzzles a day for four days beats fifty puzzles once. Write down the fork you missed. That note is the next session.