Chessy
The Pin
A pinned piece is a paralysed piece — and a paralysed piece is free material. In this position White's rook on e3 skewers Black's bishop on e6 to its own king on e8; the bishop cannot move, so 1.Rxe6+ wins it outright.
Find the winning move, then play on against the engine
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Create a free account →The position: winning a piece
White to move. Three pieces share the e-file: White's rook on e3, Black's bishop on e6, and Black's king on e8. The bishop is absolutely pinned — it cannot leave the e-file because doing so would expose the king to check, which is illegal. White simply captures with 1.Rxe6+. The king must move (say Kf7), and after 2.Ra6 White is a full bishop ahead — an easily won endgame. The engine evaluates this at +515 centipawns, a decisive material advantage.
Why an absolute pin is so powerful
A pin is a tactic where a piece is attacked along a line (file, rank, or diagonal) and cannot legally move because a more valuable piece — here the king — sits behind it. An absolute pin (pinned to the king) is the strongest variety: the pinned piece is literally immobile. This makes it a free target. Unlike a relative pin, there is no option to 'ignore' it and lose something else — moving would be an illegal move.
Spotting pins before they cost you
Before you make a move, scan for three things:
- Which of your pieces are on open files, ranks, or diagonals shared with your king?
- Does your opponent have a rook, queen, or bishop that can attack along that line?
- Is the pinned piece defended enough, or does it become a free capture once it can't move?
Here Black's bishop on e6 sits on the same open file as its own king with nothing between them — a textbook case. Any time you leave a piece on an open file in front of your king, ask whether your opponent can exploit it.
How to break or avoid a pin
When you're the pinned side, you have four options:
- Interpose — slide a piece between the pin and the king to break the line.
- Attack the pinner — threaten the rook or bishop doing the pinning so it must move or be exchanged on unfavourable terms.
- Defend the pinned piece enough that capturing it loses material for the attacker.
- Pre-emptively avoid the pin — don't leave pieces on open lines in front of your king. In this position Black needed either a closed e-file or the bishop on a safer square before White's rook became active.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pin in chess?
A pin is a tactic where a piece is attacked along a line (file, rank, or diagonal) and is reluctant or unable to move because a more valuable piece sits behind it. An absolute pin means the piece behind is the king, making it completely illegal to move the pinned piece.
What is the difference between an absolute and a relative pin?
In an absolute pin the piece behind the pinned piece is the king, so the pinned piece cannot move at all — it would be an illegal move. In a relative pin the piece behind is valuable but not the king (say a queen), so the pinned piece can technically move, but doing so loses material.
Can a pinned piece still be a useful defender?
A pinned piece can guard squares, but it can't capture or move along the pin line. Opponents often pile up attackers on a pinned piece precisely because it can't move away to defend itself elsewhere — so treat a pinned piece as a weakened piece, not a reliable one.
How do I practice spotting pins?
Drill positions where the winning move is to exploit a pin — like this one on Chessy. The habit to build is scanning your opponent's open files and diagonals pointing at your king every time you consider a move.