Chessy
What Is a Skewer in Chess?
A skewer attacks a valuable piece that, when it moves out of the attack, exposes a less valuable piece standing directly behind it on the same line — essentially the reverse of a pin.
Skewers and pins share the same geometry — sharpen your eye for both by playing a free game against Chessy's engine.
Play free against the Chessy engine →How a skewer works
A skewer needs three things lined up on a rank, file, or diagonal: your attacking piece, a valuable enemy piece in front, and a less valuable one behind it. Because the front piece must move or be captured, moving it opens the line to the piece behind, which you then capture on the following move. In the diagram, the black king sits in front of the queen along the same diagonal as White's bishop — the king has to step aside, and the queen is lost.
Skewer vs. pin
These two tactics use the exact same geometry but in reverse order of value. In a pin, the less valuable piece is in front and can't (or shouldn't) move because doing so exposes the more valuable piece behind it. In a skewer, the more valuable piece is in front and is forced to move, exposing the weaker piece behind. Both rely on lining pieces up along a shared line.
Spotting skewer opportunities
Skewers are most common with long-range pieces — rooks, bishops, and queens — since they need a clear line of several squares to work. Kings are frequent skewer targets because they must move out of check, so any position where the enemy king and a valuable piece share a rank, file, or diagonal with your rook, bishop, or queen is worth a second look.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a skewer and a pin?
In a pin the valuable piece is behind and the pinned piece in front can't safely move. In a skewer the valuable piece is in front and forced to move, exposing the weaker piece behind.
Can a knight perform a skewer?
No, a skewer requires a piece that attacks along a straight line of multiple squares — a rook, bishop, or queen. The knight's move pattern can't create this alignment.
Is a skewer always winning material?
Usually, since the front piece must move and the back piece is left undefended or less protected, but the actual gain depends on what's behind and whether it can be defended in time.
Why are kings common skewer targets?
Because the king must legally move out of check, it can't 'stay put' to protect the piece behind it the way another piece sometimes can, which is why king-and-queen skewers are especially common.