Skewer

What is a skewer?

In a skewer you attack a valuable piece that stands in front of a less valuable one on the same file, rank or diagonal. When the valuable piece steps aside, you take the one that stood behind it.

The classic skewer is a check: the king has to move, and the queen or rook behind it falls. Just like pins, skewers are made by long-range pieces: the queen, rook and bishop.

Skewers often turn up in endgames, when the king has come out into the open and the rooks have open lines. Look for two of your opponent's pieces lined up, with a clear path to the first one.

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
• Pin
• 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