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I Fork Myself, Or Let The Fork Happen Canonical self-fork: 1. Alice moves a piece where it can be taken by a pawn. 2. Bob doesn't take it. 3. Alice moves a 2nd piece where it is forked by that same pawn. 4. Bob can't take them both. Partial self-fork: 1.5 Bob moves a pawn to attack Alice's piece. 2.5 Alice doesn't retreat the piece; goto 3. 13 games, 1950-2015 It's Still Mutual Threat! Pattern triggers: 1. R2-D2 attacks Chewbacca's Q (and not with its own Q). 2. Chewbacca counterattacks R2-D2's Q (and not using his own Q). This indirectly offers to trade Qs (without either side playing QxQ). Pattern payoff: 3. R2-D2's Q makes any desperado capture, regardless of self-peril, because Chewbacca's Q is still under attack. It's <still> mutual threat! 12 games, 1857-2014 Puns I've Submitted 8 games, 1864-2015 The Double-Double, or Fork of Weight 2 Pattern elements: 1. 1st line-mover (usually an R) attacks 1st target with weight 1, defended once. (The target can be an empty square.) 2. 2nd line-mover (usually a B) attacks 2nd target with weight 1, defended once. 3. Move your Q onto the intersection of #1 and #2. This reduces to a simple fork, as if the R+B + both defenders were not present. click for larger view As the Q must generally be behind the R and in front of the B, this further necessitates: 4. an R lift 5. a B thing (develop + retreat) or fianchetto Astronomy: Epsilon Lyrae, an easy binocular/spotter scope double (208.2"), of which each "star" is itself a tight double (~2.5"). Splitting all 4 stars simultaneously (in the same field) is a canonical test of your optics and collimation. 9 games, 1923-2016 The Right of Refusal Trade Pattern elements: 1. Alice discovers or forks Bob's piece of higher value (usually Bob's Q), often as a zwieschenzug. 2. Bob looks deeper, sees enough compensation, and takes the piece instead of retreating his Q. Bob trades Q for 2 pieces + dynamic factors, and wins. 23 games, 1899-2016 The Swinging Gate: Push That P to 6 or 3! Pattern triggers: 0. enemy Kh8/Kh7 (so that the Q entry is with check) 1. a P on 6 or 3 (usually h) 2. an R behind it (for discovered check) 3. a double on g7/g2 (so that the P will be defended) click for larger view Key move: Q(g7,g2)+ for a pawn double-check. This converts to a triangle mate at h8/h1, with the protected-P providing the role of the diagonal-mover, instead of the usual (B,Q)f6/f3. Benefit: Double-check trumps any overprotection of g7/g2. Mnemonic: Push that P to 6 or 3! 22 games, 1909-2015