A pin ties an enemy piece to the square it stands on: if it moves, a more valuable piece behind it is exposed. In an absolute pin the piece behind is the king, so moving is illegal; in a relative pin, moving is merely very costly. Bishops, rooks and queens create pins along ranks, files and diagonals. Pinned pieces make poor defenders — a classic plan is to pile more attackers onto the pinned piece and win it. These {count} pin puzzles teach you to create pins, exploit them, and avoid walking your own pieces into them.

Frequently asked questions

What is a pin in chess?

A pin is a tactic where a piece cannot move without exposing a more valuable piece behind it. If the piece behind is the king, moving is illegal (an absolute pin).

What is the difference between an absolute and a relative pin?

In an absolute pin the pinned piece shields the king, so it legally cannot move. In a relative pin it shields a valuable piece, so moving is allowed but usually loses material.

How do you exploit a pin?

Attack the pinned piece again with a pawn or another piece. Since it cannot move away, you often win it outright.

Related categories

🍴 Fork 🍢 Skewer 🎯 Discovered Attack ‼️ Double Check ↩️ Deflection 🧲 Attraction 🚪 Clearance 🩻 X-Ray Attack

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