What is a skewer?
A skewer is an attack along a file, rank or diagonal on a valuable piece, with another piece behind it. The front piece has to move, and then the one behind is left unprotected. It is like a pin the other way around: in a pin the less valuable piece stands in front, in a skewer the more valuable one.
As with the pin, only the long-range pieces can skewer: the queen, the rook and the bishop. The skewer is strongest when it is a check, because then your opponent has no choice.
Skewers in the endgame
In rook endgames the skewer is one of the most important motifs. When kings and rooks stand on the same rank or file, a check from the side can win a whole rook.
A skewer without check
The skewer also works when it is the queen that stands in front. She has to move, and the rook behind her is lost, unless it is protected. Then whoever skewers can at least win the exchange.
How to avoid skewers
- Don't put king and queen, or king and rook, on the same file, rank or diagonal when your opponent has a queen, a rook or a bishop that can reach it.
- Protect the piece behind. A skewer against a protected piece wins less, or nothing.
- Think about the king's square when you are in check. Prefer a square where it isn't screening anything valuable.
Practice with skewer puzzles, and read about the exchange, a rook for a minor piece.
Frequently asked questions
What is a skewer in chess?
An attack along a file, rank or diagonal on a valuable piece that has another piece behind it. When the front piece moves away, the one behind can be captured.
Which pieces can skewer?
Only pieces that move far in straight lines: the queen, the rook and the bishop.
Updated October 31, 2026