As we continue to welcome new faces, most of whom are beginners just starting their chess journey, I’ve decided to run a short series of tactics designed to benefit everyone involved. This series will be of basic ideas to cover various strategies that are helpful for all skill levels.
The Point of a Pin
What is a Pin? The Pin is a powerful tactic because it restricts your opponent’s options, and it can also allow you to win material.
There are two types of Pin in Chess
- Absolute Pins: A piece is pinned against the king and cannot move because it would put the king in check, which is illegal.
- Relative Pins: A piece is pinned against a high-value piece like the queen. Moving the pinned piece is legal but usually inadvisable because it would result in a significant material loss.
Remember that you “don’t have to take a pinned piece“, if it causes problems for your opponent then leave it, as long as it’s safe to do so. Pinned pieces do not protect!
More importantly, one of the key strategies to remember is P.P.P.P. – which stands for :-
Put Pressure on a Pinned Piece with a Pawn or another piece.
This tactic involves applying continuous pressure to an opponent’s pinned piece, using either a pawn or a different piece, in order to exploit its limited mobility and create tactical advantages. By relentlessly targeting the pinned piece, you can often force your opponent into making unfavorable moves or gain material advantage.
White to Play
Here the White Bishop has an Absolute Pin on the Black Knight. 
The Bishop can of course take the Knight with check, then Black takes back with the pawn on b7. Bishop for Knight, Whites only compensation is Black now has doubled pawns on the c file.
Using P.P.P.P. White plays d5, adding another attacker and the Knight is lost after pxN, as it cannot move.
This sad Knight is now no longer in the game!
How To Get Out Of A Pin In Chess
There are a few different ways for you to get out of a pin. The first one is by capturing the piece that is pinning your forces. Another way of unpinning your piece is by blocking the attack with another piece of yours. You can also free yourself from a pin by moving the threatened piece from behind your pinned piece.
Test Your Skills
Now that you know what a pin is, it is time to test your skills! Take a look at the puzzle below. White to play, It looks like White is losing, but there is one way to turn the game around and win!
Answer next week!
