Adapted from the Chess Skills leaflets, produced for the British Chess Federation by JE Littlewood and RA Furness. Developed from the Tactics for Juniors sheets originally prepared by RG Wade, R Bott and S Morrison. The Pin A piece is said to be pinned when it is attacked along a line from which it cannot move without exposing a second, usually more valuable piece to attack.

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White plays Bc4. The Black Queen cannot move from the diagonal because the Black King would be in check. The Queen is lost.

Find the Pin Find a move to pin a piece, so it can be captured on the next move.

1. White to move 2. White to move

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3. Black to move 4. Black to move

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In these four positions, the next move will either pin a piece or attack a piece which is already pinned.

5. White to move 6. White to move

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7. Black to move 8. Black to move

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In these four positions, the player to move can make a capture because of a pin.

9. White to move 10. White to move

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11. Black to move 12. Black to move

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In these four positions, How does the player to move use the pin to gain an advantage?

13. White to move 14. White to move

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15. Black to move 16. Black to move

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Answers

1. Re1 pins the Black Queen in front of the King. White will win the Wueen for the loss of his Rook. 2. Bf3 traps the two Black Rooks on the diagonal. 3. 1… Bf4 pins the White Rook against the King. Black will win the exchange (rook for bishop). 4. Rc1 pins the Queen against the King on the back rank. 5. d5 attacking and winning the Knight on c6. the Knight cannot move because the White Bishop pins it against the King. 6. Rd1 attacking the Black Queen. Black cannot play Qxd1+ in response because it is pinned against the King by the White Queen. Black’s best move is 1… Qxc4, but then 2 Rxd8+ Kf7 3 bxc4 when White has gained a Rook. 7. The Bishop pins the Knight against the King. Black attacks and wins it by playing 1… f4. 8. 1… Re4+ The pawn on f3 is pinned, so cannot capture the Rook. If White plays 2 Rxe4, he loses his Queen to 2… Qxd8. If he moves the King, Black wins the Rook by 2… Rxd4. 9. Simply Rxe5+ Black cannot recapture by 1… fxe5 since the pawn is pinned against the King by the Bishop. 10. Rxe5+ Th pinned Knight on c6 cannot recapture. 11. 1… Qxe4 winning the Bishop. If 2 dxe4 Black regains the Queen by 2… Rxd2 and remains a Bishop to the good. 12. 1… Qxh3 checkmate. The White Pawn on g2 is pinned. 13. Qxe5 winning the Knight. If 1… dxe5 White regains the Queen by 2 Rxd7 and remains a Knight to the good. 14. Rb3, if the Black Queen moves 2Qb8 leads to mate: 1… Qa5 2 Qb8+ Kd7 3 Rb7+ Qc7 (if 3… Ke8 4 Re7 mate) 4 Qxc7+ Ke8 5 Qe7 mate. If Black plays 1… cxb3 2 Qxb4. Black cannot recapture as the Pawn on c5 is pinned. 15. 1… Rxg2 2 Rxg2 h3 3 Kg1 hxg2 and Black will win the White Pawn and promote his own 16. 1… Bxe5 wins a Pawn and skewers the White Queen and Rook. If White plays 2 Qxe5 Black replies Re8 to pin the Queen.