A pin is an attack on a piece that cannot move away without exposing a more valuable piece behind it. Only bishops, rooks and queens can pin.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Start0/1
A pinned piece is stuck, so you have time to attack it again. If the piece behind it is the king, the pinned piece may not move at all.
How to do it
- 1Line up a bishop, rook or queen with an enemy piece and a bigger piece behind it.
- 2Attack the pinned piece again, with a pawn if you can.
- 3Take it only when it has fewer defenders than you have attackers.
For your level
Some pieces are stuck. They stand in front of their king. A stuck piece cannot run away.
Check you have it
Question 1 of 1
Find the strongest move in this position and play it.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Play your move on the board.
Common mistakes
- Taking the pinned piece at once, when one more attacker would have won it for free.
- Letting your own knight be pinned to the queen and then attacked by a pawn.
Questions
- What is the difference between an absolute pin and a relative pin?
- An absolute pin is against the king, so moving the pinned piece is illegal. A relative pin is against another piece, so moving is legal but loses that piece.
- Can a knight or a pawn pin a piece?
- No. A pin is an attack along a line, through one piece to another. Only bishops, rooks and queens attack along lines, so only they can pin.