Lesson 10

Chess Tactics:
Learning to Pin & Skewer!
Part 1: Winning Chess Tactics: Learning to Pin!

Concepts:
• What is a pin and which pieces can make a pin?
• The difference between and “absolute” and “relative” pin!
• How to win a pinned piece!

Introducing the Pin: What is a Pin, Who Can Make a Pin, and Why Are Pins Good?
cuuuuuuuuC When a piece cannot move because it is “in the way” or
(wdwdkdqd} “blocking” a more valuable teammate from being captured
7dwdwdwdw} by an enemy piece, that piece is pinned. The piece that is
6wdndwdwd} applying this pin is known as the “pinning piece”. Pins are a
5dBdwdwdw} tactical motif that occurs solely on the straight lines of the
&wdwdwdwd} chessboard – meaning the ranks, files and diagonals.
3dwdwdwgw}
2wdwdwdwd} Because pins can only occur on the straight lines of the
%dwdwdw$w} board, only three types of pieces can make a pin: The
v,./9EFJMV Queen, Rooks and Bishops (compare this to a “double
The c6-Knight is pinned attack” that can technically be carried out by any one of the
to the King, and the g3- chessmen). The Bishop and Rook are both pinning pieces
Bishop to the Queen! in this position, with two different types of pins taking place:

The Two Kinds of Pins: Absolute and Relative – What's the Difference?
cuuuuuuuuC The first type of pin taking place is by the b5-Bishop, to the
(wdwdkdqd} c6-Knight, to the King on e8 is an absolute pin. Absolute
7dwdwdwdw} pins occur only when a piece is being pinned to the King. It
6wdndwdwd} would be absolutely illegal for the Knight to move, which
5dBdwdwdw} makes an absolute pin the strongest kind of pin to have.
&wdwdw8wd}
3dwdwdwgw} The second type of pin from our first diagram is known as a
2wdwdwdwd} relative pin. The Bishop on g3 is pinned because it would
%dwIwdw$w} never consider moving if it meant the Queen on g8 would
v,./9EFJMV be captured. However, we have added a white King on c1
A relative pin, like the g3- here to display that if the g3-Bishop was able to move for
Bishop, can be broken – something more important than the Queen on g8 (in this
But only for good reason! case, a check to the King) than the Bishop could move.

© ChessKid.com Page 1 of 9
 Lesson 10

Ganging Up on the Pinned Piece (Absolute) – The Key to Winning Pinned Pieces!
cuuuuuuuuC Now that we understand the different types of pins, let's talk
(wdwdwdwd} about what makes a pin successful. A pinned piece is,
7dwdwipdw} well, pinned! It can't move (especially absolutely pinned
6wdw4wdwd} pieces, and it would be bad to move most relatively pinned
5dwdw8wdw} pieces as well). So don't ever take a pinned piece without
&wGwdPdwd} first considering how to bring more pieces to attack it.
3dwdwIwdw}
2wdwdwdwd} Here the Bishop on b4 is pinning the Rook on d6. White
%dwdwdwdw} could easily capture it and be happy with that “trade”. But is
v,./9EFJMV there another way to gang up on the pinned Rook? 1.e5!,
Look to “gang up” attacks the Rook a second time and therefore wins material
on pinned pieces! after 1...Ke6 2.exd6. Not 2.Bxd6 after 2...f6, drawing.

Ganging Up on the Pinned Piece (Relative) – The Key to Winning Pinned Pieces!
cuuuuuuuuC Here we have another simple example position designed to
(wdw4w4kd} show how easy it can be to win a pinned piece, if you only
7dp0w1p0w} gang up on it before capturing it. Because the easiest way
6pdndwhw0} to make sure you “win the doggy-pile” is to capture with a
5dwdp0wdw} pawn first (because they are worth the least) – our second
&wdw)wdbd} example also sees a pawn doing the “gang up” work!
3dPdw)N)w}
2PGPdQ)B)} Of course you can also gang up on pinned pieces with
%dwdRdRIw} other pieces. You can imagine, and will see in some of the
v,./9EFJMV worksheet examples, that as long as the piece stays
Black played 1...e4!, pinned – everyone is welcome to join the “gang-up-and-
attacking the pinned f3- attack-the-pinned-piece”party! Here black wins a piece!
Knight and winning it.

Using the Pin Against Your Opponent – The “Other Way” to Exploit a Pin!
cuuuuuuuuC The other major negative point of having pinned pieces is
(wdwdwdwi} that they can't really defend their teammates. Even when
7dp0wdp0w} the seemingly guard things, if and when push comes to
6pdndpdw0} shove, a pinned piece is crippled by the piece behind it. So,
5dw1wdrdP} besides ganging up on pinned pieces, try to see whether or
&wdwdbdwd} not they are guarding anything important, and if so, take it!
3dPdwdNdw}
2PGP!w)Pd} In this example game, white had just sacrificed a Rook on
%dwdwdwIw} h8, forcing the black King to a most undesirable square.
v,./9EFJMV White can play 1.Qxh6+!, exposing the g7-pawn for what it
The b2-Bishop may be far really is: A pinned piece! After 1...Kg8 2.Qxg7 is
away, but it serves a checkmate. Because Bishops and Rooks, and Queens
mighty purpose here! operate on long lines, tactics like this occur often in games!

© ChessKid.com Page 2 of 9
 Lesson 10
Chess Tactics:
Learning to Pin & Skewer!
Part 2: Breaking the Pin!

Concepts:
• The problem with a relative pin!
• Learning to break a pin!

Because it isn't necessarily illegal to move a relatively pinned piece (even if it's pinned to the
Queen) – one should always be wary of a pin on the enemy piece turning into a tactic for the
opponent. A broken pin instantly becomes a discovered attack (Lesson 11) for the opponent!

Breaking the Pin – The “Problem” with a Relative Pin!

cuuuuuuuuC Here we see a classic example of a “broken” relative pin
(rdw1kgn4} from the Smith Morra Gambit (an Opening Variation in the
70pdw0p0p} Sicilian Defense). In this example, black has just played the
6wdn0wdwd} move 6...Bg4?, which is a common blunder. Though it pins
5dwdwdwdw} the Knight on f3, the Bishop lacks protection, and the
&wdBdPdbd} results of this are devastating!
3dwHwdNdw}
2P)wdw)P)} White now plays 1.Bxf7+!, temporarily sacrificing the
%$wGQIwdR} Bishop for a discovered check after 1...Kxf7 2.Ng5+! 2.Ke8
,./9EFJM and 3.Qxg4, white wins back the Bishop, remains ahead a
White to play and win! pawn, and black has lost the right to castle the King.

Legal's Mate – The World's Most Infamous “Broken” Pin!

cuuuuuuuuC Here white is in a good position with a small lead in
(rdw1kgn4} development. Furthermore, black took big a risk when he
70p0wdp0p} decided to pin the f3-Knight, knowing the Bishop had no
6wdn0wdwd} protection. Combining the ideas of a discovered attack
5dwdw0wdb} (Lesson 11), breaking the pin, and targeting black's
&wdBdPdwd} weakest square (Lesson 7) – what tactic does white have
3dwHwdNdP} in this posiiton?
2P)P)w)Pd}
%$wGQIwdR} 6.Nxe5!! wins immediately (if 6...Nxe5 7.Qxh5 Nxc4
,./9EFJM 8.Qb5+, white wins back the material and remains ahead
Philidor's Opening: 1.e4 by a pawn with a huge lead in development): 6...Bxd1
e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Nc6 7.Bxf7+ Ke7 8.Nd5 checkmate! It's amazing that white can
4.Bc4 Bg4 5.h3 & 5...Bh5 sacrifice such a large amount of material by breaking the
pin on the f3-Knight, yet the reward is clearly worth it.

© ChessKid.com Page 3 of 9
 Lesson 10
Chess Tactics:
Learning to Pin & Skewer!
Part 3: Winning Chess Tactics: Learning to Skewer!

Concepts:
• What is a skewer?
• Skewering is the opposite of pinning!

Introducing the “Anti-Pin”: The Skewer!

cuuuuuuuuC A skewer is the opposite of a pin, and in many ways a
(wdwdrdwd} much more “forceful” tactic. With a pin, the “lesser valued”
7dwdwdwhw} piece is in front, shielding the more valuable piece from
6wdqdwdwd} capture. The piece doesn't want to move because of this,
5dwdwdwdw} but it usually takes more attackers to exploit and possibly
&Bdwdwdwd} win the pinned piece.
3dPdwdwiw}
2wdwdwdwd} With a skewer, however, the “better” piece is the one being
%dwdwdw$w} attacked and so it must either sacrifice itself or “move
v,./9EFJMV aside”, allowing an undefended or at least valued
This is not a practical teammate to be captured. In our diagramed example, the
position of course, but it is Bishop on a4 is “skewering” the Queen and Rook, which
designed to display the works because the Bishop would be happy to capture the
skewer in action! Rook even at the cost of losing itself, while the Rook on g1
is skewering the King and Knight along the g-file.

More Introductions: The Skewer in Action and Making Good Things Happen!
cuuuuuuuuC Like the pin, the skewer is a “straight lines” tactic (only
(wdrdw4kd} being possible along ranks, files and diagonals) and so it is
70bdwdp0w} only executed by the Queen, Rooks and Bishops. The
6w0wdpdw0} skewer happens most often in open-board positions (like
51wd*dwdw} our example here) and is most effective when the
&wdB)wdwd} opponent's pieces are loose (undefended).
3)wdQdwdw}
2RdPdw)P)} Here black recognized the chance for a skewer tactic due
%dwdRdwIw} to the awkward position of the white Rook on a2. Black
v,./9EFJMV played 1...Rxc4!, forcing 2.Qxc4 and then 2...Bd5! –
This famous skewer is a skewering the Queen and Rook and coming out ahead a
common tactical pattern! minor piece at the end of the combination.

© ChessKid.com Page 4 of 9
 Lesson 10

The “Back Door” Skewer – An Infamous Rook Ending Tactic!

cuuuuuuuuC Think of a backyard barbeque every time you think of a
(Rdwdwdwd} skewer! Skewers are used to cut through multiple pieces
7)wdwdkd*} of meat and vegetables for a tasty grilled treat! A skewer
6wdwdwdwd} tactic cuts through enemy pieces in a similar fashion.
5dwdwdwdw}
&rdwdwdwd} Our next “tasty skewer” comes at the expense of the black
3dwdwdwdw} King and Rook. This common tactical idea occurs as the
2wdwdwIwd} climax of many Rook ending puzzles. We have jumped to
%dwdwdwdw} the end of the position to display the trick clearly: White
v,./9EFJMV plays 1.Rh8!, freeing the a8-square and threatening to
White skewers via the Queen the pawn. Black must capture a7 to avoid this, and
“back door” on h7! white wins with 2.Rh7+, skewering the King and Rook!

More Famous Endgame Skewers – The “Double Promotion” Queen Skewer!

cuuuuuuuuC Though the full combination is slightly more complex, you
(*dwdwdwd} may recognize this tactic from the movie “Searching for
7dwdwdwdw} Bobby Fischer”. The end result of this puzzle is right up our
6wdwdwdwd} alley! Both sides are going to promote their pawns, but the
5)wdwdwdw} white player gets the upper hand in the end by Queening
&wdKdkdwd} with check – instantly skewering the King and Queen
3dwdwdwdp} along the longest diagonal of the board, the h1-a8 diagonal!
2wdwdwdwd}
%dwdwdwd*} 1.a6 h2 2.a7 h1=Queen 3.a8=Queen+ black King moves
v,./9EFJMV anywhere, 4.Qxh1, winning! Note that the moves were all
Whenever the King is forced because if black tried to avoid this skewer by moving
lined up on the same file the King in advance, white's promoted Queen would
or diagonal as your prevent black from doing the same by guarding h1 along
passed pawn, watch out! the diagonal. Watch out for this idea in your games!

Skewering “To a Square” Rather Than a Piece – Another Common Way to Skewer!
cuuuuuuuuC Hopefully the concept of skewering pieces to other pieces
(rdwdqdkd} has been made clear with our examples. You can also
70bdwdw0p} skewer pieces to important squares – such as a threat of
6wdw!p0wd} checkmate! Our final example reveals exactly that...
5$pdwdwdw}
&w)wdw)wd} There may be several types of important squares worth a
3dwGwdwdw} skewer, but a back rank checkmate threat has to be right at
2w)PdwdP)} the top of the list! Here black plays 1...Rd8!, skewering the
%dwdwdwdK} Queen on d6 and the d1-square. White's Queen has no
v,./9EFJMV way of retreat that successfully guards the back rank, and
Skewer pieces to must settle on 2.Qc5 Rd1+ 3.Qg1 Rxg1, where black's
weaknesses, it works! material advantage is enough to win the game.

© ChessKid.com Page 5 of 9
 Lesson 10
Chess Tactics:
Learning to Pin & Skewer!
Instructor's Guide

Pins are arguably the most common tactical “theme” in the game of chess. Though the other
tactical patterns discussed in this section (Lessons 9 - 12) all occur with frequency, a pin often
takes place early in the game, in many of the most common openings. Teaching your
students to recognize pins and, most importantly, the concept of how to exploit a pinned piece
(learning not to just quickly trade but instead to “gang up” on the pinned piece) is critical.

The concept of breaking a pin is a tricky one because you don't want your students constantly
looking for ways to sacrifice their Queen for a discovered attack by the Knight, yet at the
same time you want your students aware that a relative pin should not be taken for granted.
One perhaps more practical way of breaking a pin (not discussed in detail) is simply the idea
of going after the enemy's “pinning piece” with other forces in your army. Attack a “pinning
Bishop” with a pawn, chase away a “pinning Rook” by attacking it, etc.

Practical Notes and Advice – Lesson 10:

• Like the other lessons discussing tactical themes, we recommend having your
students point out every time a pin and/or skewer occurs during their games.
Ask them to tell you whether each is relative or absolute.

• Skewers are easy and fun to teach! Many combinations end with a skewer as the
final blow to win material. Reference Part 2 of Lesson 6 again (the diagram that
shows the importance of considering every “Queen Attack”) to show the
students a position with multiple skewers that repeat by the Rook and Bishop.

• Emphasize that a chess player can never solve enough tactics! From forks, to
skewers, to the upcoming lessons on discovered attacks and deflection tactics –
we could have provided hundreds of worksheets for your students to solve –
with no effort wasted. However, our selections are designed to instruct on the
basic versions of these tactics.

• As coaches ourselves, we strongly recommend having a decent sized library of

tactics books and puzzle-solving exercises on hand for your students to further
explore the themes listed in our curriculum, as well as the many other more
advanced tactical patterns in chess.

© ChessKid.com Page 6 of 9
 Lesson 10
Lesson 10: Pin 'em & Skewer 'em!
In the following diagrams there is a chance for white to either pin or skewer black. Circle the
piece that can do the tactic, then circle which type of tactic it is beneath each diagram.
cuuuuuuuuC cuuuuuuuuC
(wdwdkdwd} (wdrdwdkd}
7dwdwdwdw} 7dwdwdp0p}
6wdwdwdwd} 6wdwdwdwd}
5dwdw1wdw} 5dwdwdwdw}
&wdwdwdwd} &wdw!wdwd}
3dwdwdwdw} 3dwdwdw1w}
2wdwdwBWd} 2P)Pdwdwd}
%dKdRdwdw} %dKdwdRdw}
v,./9EFJMV ,./9EFJM
Circle the correct answer: Circle the correct answer:
Pin? OR Skewer? Pin? OR Skewer?
cuuuuuuuuC cuuuuuuuuC
(w4wdrdkd} (rdbdkdw4}
70pdwdp0w} 7dp0wdp0p}
6wdp1whw0} 6pdpdwhwd}
5dwdpdwdw} 5dwgwdwdw}
&wdw)wdwG} &wdwdqdwd}
3dQ)wdwdP} 3dwdwdNdw}
2P)wdw)Pd} 2P)P)w)P)}
%dwdRdRIw} %$NGQdRIw}
v,./9EFJMV v,./9EFJMV
Circle the correct answer: Circle the correct answer:
Pin? OR Skewer? Pin? OR Skewer?

© ChessKid.com Page 7 of 9
 Lesson 10
Lesson 10: Pin 'em & Skewer 'em!
In the following diagrams there is a chance for black to either pin or skewer white. Circle the
piece that can do the tactic, then circle which type of tactic it is beneath each diagram.
cuuuuuuuuC cuuuuuuuuC
(wdrdw4kd} (wdwdrdkd}
7dwdw1p0p} 70wdwdpdp}
6pdw!wdwd} 6wdwdwdpd}
5dpdw0w)w} 5dwdwdqdw}
&wdwdPdw)} &wdwdwdw)}
3dwdwdPdR} 3)pdQdwdw}
2P)Pdwdwd} 2w)wdw)Pd}
%dKdRdwdw} %dKdRdwdw}
,./9EFJM v,./9EFJMV
Circle the correct answer: Circle the correct answer:
Pin? OR Skewer? Pin? OR Skewer?
cuuuuuuuuC cuuuuuuuuC
(wdwdwdqi} (w4wdwdkd}
7dwdwdw0w} 7dwdw1p0p}
6pdpdw0w0} 6Qdw0wdwd}
5)pGwdwdw} 5dwdwdbdw}
&w)wdwdwd} &wdwdwdwd}
3dwdwdwdw} 3gw)Bdwdw}
2wdwdKdw!} 2P)wdw)P)}
%dwdwdwdw} %dKGwdwdR}
v,./9EFJMV v,./9EFJMV
Circle the correct answer: Circle the correct answer:
Pin? OR Skewer? Pin? OR Skewer?

© ChessKid.com Page 8 of 9
 Lesson 10
Pin 'em & Skewer 'em!
Answer Key

Worksheet Page 1:
Diagram #1 – 1.Re1! – Pinning the black Queen to the King. Circle the d1-Rook. Circle Pin.

Diagram #2 – 1.Bg3! – Skewering the Queen and Rook. Circle the h4-Bishop. Circle Skewer.

Diagram #3 – 1.Rg1! – Skewering the Queen and the g7-pawn (threat of the white Queen
capturing the g7-pawn, checkmate). Circle the f1-Rook. Circle Skewer.

Diagram #4 – 1.Re1! – Pinning the black Queen to the King. Circle the f1-Rook. Circle Pin.

Worksheet Page 2:

Diagram #1 – 1...Rfd8! or 1...Rcd8! – Skewering the Queen and Rook on d1. Capturing on d1
will also lead to immediate back rank checkmate. Circle either black Rook. Circle Skewer.

Diagram #2 – 1...Qa2+! – Skewering the King and Queen. Circle the Queen. Circle Skewer.

Diagram #3 – 1...Rd8! – Skewering the Queen and the d1-Rook. Capturing on d1 will also
lead to immediate checkmate. NOTE: This tactic also uses a Pin. White's d3-Queen is pinned
along the b1-h7 diagonal by black's Queen, which makes 1...Rd8 possible. Circle the e8-
Rook. Circle both Pin and Skewer.

Diagram #4 – 1.Qe2!! – Pinning the d3-Bishop to the white Queen on a6. NOTE: This is a
“double pin” tactic. The d3-Bishop is pinned along two diagonals: The b1-h7 diagonal and the
f1-a6 diagonal. Circle the black Queen. Circle Pin.

© ChessKid.com Page 9 of 9