THE QUEEN'S LUNCH BREAK

The Queen was feeling hungry. "It must be lunchtime" she said to herself. "I wonder what I can find to eat. A tasty pawn would be nice. A Knight would be even better. Mmm, scrumptious! Or how about a nice fat juicy Bishop? Yum yum!" And what does the Queen use to eat her lunch. Just the same as you or me: a FORK!

You remember what a FORK is, don't you. A move which THREATENS two pieces at once with the same piece. Queens are really brilliant at FORKING because they are so powerful. Look out for moves which CHECK and attack an undefended piece, or moves which attack two undefended pieces.

Our first example has happened several times.

Opening: Ruy Lopez

1. e2-e4 e7-e5

2. Ng1-f3 Nb8-c6

3. Bf1-b5 a7-a6

4. Bb5xc6 d7xc6

5. 0–0 f7-f6

This is an exception to the rule about not moving Freddie in the opening. Black can play it because White no longer has a White squared Bishop. But he still has to be careful.

6. d2-d4 e5xd4

7. Nf3xd4 Bf8-c5?? (Diagram)

And it's your move. What would you recommend for White here? Remember CCT!

8. Qd1-h5+

The Queen's FORK has a Bishop on one prong and a King on the other. The King must escape so the Queen has a nice fat juicy Bishop for lunch.

Another example, this time from a Grandmaster tournament. Black was one of the best players in the world, but here he plays like a beginner.

White: Frank Marshall Black: Mikhail Chigorin

Monte Carlo 1903

Opening: Queen's Gambit Declined

1. d2-d4 d7-d5

2. c2-c4 Nb8-c6

3. Nb1-c3 d5xc4

4. d4-d5 Nc6-a5

5. Bc1-f4 Bc8-d7

6. e2-e4 e7-e6

7. d5xe6 f7xe6?? (Diagram)

The next move, please. CCT!

8. Qd1-h5+

This time there's a King and a Knight on the prongs of the Queen's FORK.

Rounding up the stray Knight on a5. Black resigned.

Our next example is the shortest ever loss by a player of master strength. Don't blink or you'll miss it.

White: Ziva Djordjevic Black: Milorad Kovacevic

Bela Crkva (Yugoslavia) 1984

Opening: Trompowsky Opening

1. d2-d4 Ng8-f6

2. Bc1-g5 c7-c6

3. e2-e3?? (Diagram)

How can Black win a piece here?

3... Qd8-a5+

This time the FORK came on a5. If White had played something else instead of e2-e3 he could have defended with Qd1-d2 or even Bg5-d2.

The previous (genuine) record holder went like this. It's a game from the 1933 Olympiad. White was from Scotland, Black from Lithuania.

White: Robert Combe Black: Wolfgang Hasenfuss

Chess Olympics Folkestone 1933

Opening: Queen's Pawn Game

1. d2-d4 c7-c5

2. c2-c4 c5xd4

3. Ng1-f3 e7-e5

4. Nf3xe5?? (Diagram)

You should be able to find this one by now!

4... Qd8-a5+

Another FORK on a5, this time of King and Knight.

Here's a trap you might be able to try out yourself with White if your opponent plays the Sicilian Defence.

1. e2-e4 c7-c5 (This is the Sicilian Defence, the most popular opening in master chess.) 2. Ng1-f3 d7-d6 3. Bf1-e2 (This will surprise your opponents. The usual move is d2-d4.) 3... Ng8-f6 4. c2-c3 (Baiting the trap. If Black takes on e4 you know what happens. So he develops his Knight to block the check.) 4... Nb8-c6 5. d2-d4 Nf6xe4? (Diagram)

Can you work out how White can win a Knight here? This time you have to look a bit further ahead. Don't forget to think CCT.

6. d4-d5 (ATTACKING the Knight, so Black moves it). 6... Nc6-e5

7. Qd1-a4+ (And now the FORK, and another Knight bites the dust.)

Now for something slightly different.

Opening: Two Knights Defence

1. e2-e4 e7-e5

2. Ng1-f3 Nb8-c6

3. Bf1-c4 Ng8-f6

4. d2-d4 Nf6xe4?

5. d4xe5 Bf8-c5?? (Diagram)

Black's playing for a KNIGHT FORK on f2, but it's White's turn first. Think CCT, and don't worry about trying to defend f2.

6. Qd1-d5

This time it's not a CHECK, but a mate threat. The THREATS are to the Knight on e4 and the Pawn on f7. Black's welcome to play Bc5xf2+: White just moves his King: Ke1-e2. Now what happens if Black plays Ne4-c5? Qd5xf7#! Or if Ne4-g5? Bc1xg5! Or if Ne4-d6? e5xd6! Or if 0-0? Qd5xe4. If Black doesn't want to get mated White's Queen will have another succulent Knight for her lunch.

This idea is seen a lot in junior chess games. Here's an example where Black wins. It's another King's Gambit.

1. e2-e4 e7-e5 2. f2-f4 Bf8-c5 (You should know what happens if White plays f4xe5 here. That's right: Qd8-h4+!) 3. Ng1-f3 d7-d6 4. Bf1-c4 Ng8-f6 5. d2-d3 0-0 (If White thinks he can now win a pawn he's in for a nasty shock.) 6. f4xe5 d6xe5 7. Nf3xe5?? (Diagram) It's your move. If you remember the last example you'll get it right.

7... Qd8-d4

Again the Knight is lost. If White plays Ne5-g4 to stop the mate on f2 Black just takes it off: Bc8xg4.

Earlier in this lesson we looked at the start of a Ruy Lopez game: 1. e2-e4 e7-e5 2. Ng1-f3 Nb8-c6 3. Bf1-b5 a7-a6 4. Bb5xc6 d7xc6. Perhaps you wondered why White didn't play Nf3xe5 here, giving our next diagram. Well, can you work it out for yourself?

The answer is that Black can regain the pawn with the aid of a QUEEN FORK: Qd8-d4, FORKING e4 and e5. Or, if he prefers, Qd8-g5, FORKING g2 and e5. Not to mention Qd8-e7 with a SKEWER on the e-file (A SKEWER is a move which attacks two pieces in the SAME direction. with the move valuable piece being in front. If you like it's a back to front PIN! Here, when the Knight moves Black will take the Pawn on e4.

1. Queens are brilliant at forking. Look out for Queen moves attacking undefended pieces.

2. If Freddie has moved, look out for QUEEN FORKS on h5 (h4).

3. Look out for QUEEN FORKS on a4 (a5).

4. If your opponent has a Knight on e4 (e5) and he hasn't castled look out for QUEEN FORKS on d5 (d4).

5. Try to keep all your pieces defending each other if you can. If you have an undefended piece make sure it can't be FORKED. Remember: LOOSE PIECES DROP OFF (LPDO)!

6. Think CCT all the time.