Fork
One piece attacks two or more enemy pieces at the same time, so your opponent can only save one. Knights are famous for forks because they jump and attack in an awkward pattern, but every piece, even a pawn, can fork.
How to spot it
Look for squares from which one of your pieces would hit two targets at once. Knights are the classic forkers because their jump can't be blocked, but a queen check that also eyes a loose rook, or a pawn push that hits two pieces, works just the same. The best targets are the king (a fork with check gives your opponent no time to move both pieces) and anything undefended.
A worked example
1.Nc7+ forks the king on e8 and the rook on a8. Black has to move the king, and the rook is lost.
Why it works
A fork works because a player can only make one move at a time. If two of your opponent's pieces are attacked and neither can be saved with a single move (a check that also protects, say), one of them goes. The more valuable the targets, the bigger the profit.
How to defend against it
Keep your pieces protected and don't leave two valuable pieces on squares a knight could reach in one hop. Before each move, ask what checks your opponent has next move: a knight check that also attacks your queen is the fork that wins the most club games.
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