Pin

What is a pin?

A pin happens when a piece can't move, or shouldn't, because a more valuable piece stands behind it on the same file, rank or diagonal. The pin is made by a long-range piece: a queen, rook or bishop. The piece that is stuck is said to be pinned.

If the king stands behind, the pin is absolute. The pinned piece may not leave the line, because that would expose its own king to check. It may still move along the line, if it can, and it may capture the piece that pins it. If the queen or a rook stands behind, the pin is relative: the move is legal, but it costs material.

A pinned piece makes a juicy target. Attack it with more pieces than can defend it, ideally with a pawn. And a piece pinned to its king usually can't recapture, so whatever it seems to defend is in fact undefended.

How the puzzles work

There are 150 puzzles here. Choose a level above the board. Within each level the puzzles get harder and harder, and when you come back you pick up where you left off.

Your opponent makes the first move, then it's your turn. If you get stuck, Hint shows which piece to move, and Show the solution plays the rest. The theme only shows once the puzzle is done, but here you already know what you're looking for.

In Puzzle training you get puzzles in this theme at your own level, and see how you're doing in each theme.

More puzzles

• Mate in one
• Mate in two
• Mate in three
• Fork
• Skewer
• Discovered attack
• Double check
• Sacrifice
• Deflection
• Attraction
• Hanging piece
• In-between move
• Back-rank mate
• Smothered mate
• Promotion
• Endgame
• Rook endgames
• Pawn endgames
• Zugzwang

The puzzles come from Lichess, fetched on October 2, 2026.

Updated November 6, 2026