How to solve pin puzzles
- Every puzzle here uses a pin: a piece that can’t move, or shouldn’t, because a more valuable piece stands behind it on the same line.
- After the opponent’s move, look for a line (a rank, file or diagonal) with two of their pieces on it, and a way to attack along it.
- Play the move by clicking or dragging, then follow up by attacking the pinned piece again while it can’t escape.
Ways pins win games
- Attack the pinned piece with more pieces than it has defenders, since it can’t step out of the way.
- A pawn attacking a pinned knight or bishop often wins it outright.
- Pins lead to mates too. A piece pinned to its king can’t leave the line of the pin, so it doesn’t really guard the squares off that line, and a mate can land on one of them.
- Pinning a piece against the queen often wins the exchange or more.
Tips
- Check every rank, file and diagonal through the opponent’s king and queen for a piece in between.
- A piece pinned to its king can still capture along the line of the pin, even the pinning piece, but it can’t take anything off that line.
- Before attacking, make sure none of your own pieces are pinned in the same way.
About these puzzles
These puzzles come from real games in the public-domain Lichess puzzle database, tagged as pin puzzles and checked by an engine. Only well-tested puzzles, played at least a thousand times, are used.