Tactical example

Tactical example: one knight, two targets

The black king and queen can be attacked by one knight jump. The check forces the king to respond before the queen can move.

Calculate a simple knight fork where a forcing check wins the queen and learn why move order makes the tactic reliable.

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Find forcing candidates

White should scan checks before quiet attacks. Nd6+ attacks the king on e8 and queen on c8 at the same time. Because the move gives check, Black cannot simply move the queen.

Verify the reply

After the king responds, the knight remains able to capture the queen. The value of the fork comes from move order: the royal target forces the first response.

Generalise the pattern

Knight forks are easiest to notice when you map the knight's destination squares around valuable targets. Checks, attacks on queens, and attacks on loose rooks deserve immediate calculation.

Answer

Which forcing move attacks both the king and queen?

Nd6+
Ne7
Nh6

Nd6+

Nd6+ checks the king and attacks the queen on c8. Black must answer the check, so the queen falls next.

Principle to rememberIn a double attack, target the king whenever possible so the other target cannot escape first.

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Tactical example: one knight, two targets

Find forcing candidates

Verify the reply

Generalise the pattern

Which forcing move attacks both the king and queen?

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