Lesson 3 of 8

Tactics I: Forks, Pins, Skewers, and Double Attacks

Win material by combining forks with line tactics and practical defensive habits.

Practice puzzles

Lesson 3 — Tactics I: Forks, Pins, Skewers, and Double Attacks

Tactics are short, forcing sequences that win material or create a winning attack. This week you learn to spot them — and avoid walking into them.

By the end of class, you should be able to:

  • Define fork, double attack, pin, and skewer
  • Use knight and queen forks to win material
  • Recognize when a piece is pinned or skewered
  • Scan every move with a simple checklist before you play
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