Chess Skewer: The Reverse Pin

What Is a Skewer?

A skewer is a tactic where a long-range attacker (bishop, rook, or queen) attacks a valuable enemy piece along a line. The attacked piece must move out of the line of attack — and when it does, the attacker captures the less valuable piece that was sitting behind it.

The skewer requires three pieces on the same line: your attacker, the enemy's valuable piece, and a less valuable enemy piece behind it. Because the bigger piece must move first, the smaller piece is doomed.

Skewer vs Pin: The Key Difference

Pins and skewers both work on a line of three pieces, but the order matters:

• Pin: attacker → less valuable piece → more valuable piece. The less valuable piece can't move because doing so exposes the more valuable piece. The pinned piece is paralyzed.
• Skewer: attacker → more valuable piece → less valuable piece. The more valuable piece must move (especially if it's the king), and the less valuable piece is captured.

Think of it this way: a pin freezes a piece in place; a skewer forces a piece to move. A pin is often a long-term plan; a skewer usually wins material on the spot.

Absolute vs Relative Skewers

Absolute Skewer

An absolute skewer attacks the king. The king is in check and must move out of the line — there's no other legal option (unless the attacker can be captured or the check can be blocked). After the king moves, the piece behind is captured. Absolute skewers are nearly always game-winning material wins.

Relative Skewer

A relative skewer attacks any non-king piece, usually the queen. The queen can stay put, but losing the queen for a less valuable piece is rarely acceptable, so it will move and lose what's behind it. Relative skewers are slightly less forcing than absolute skewers but still extremely effective.

Common Skewer Patterns

The Endgame Rook Skewer

In king-and-pawn endgames, a rook check on a rank or file often skewers the king and the pawn it's defending. After the king moves, the rook captures the pawn. This is one of the most common endgame tactics.

The Bishop Diagonal Skewer

A bishop along a long diagonal attacks the king. The king moves; the bishop captures whatever was behind — often a rook or a queen on the same diagonal.

The Queen Skewer

A queen check on a long diagonal or file forces the king to step aside, and the queen scoops up the rook or minor piece behind. Especially common after a back-rank weakness.

The Crosspin/Skewer Trap

Advanced motif: you pin a piece, then play a move that simultaneously skewers along a different line. The opponent can't defend both threats.

How to Set Up a Skewer

Skewers often come from forcing maneuvers. Here's how to manufacture one:

• Force a king to a critical square. A series of checks can drive the enemy king onto a rank, file, or diagonal where a skewer wins material behind it.
• Sacrifice to clear the line. Remove a defender or blocker between you and the target, then deliver the skewer.
• Use a discovered attack. Move one piece to reveal a skewering attacker behind it.
• Wait for the queen to wander. When the enemy queen sits unprotected on a long line with a rook or piece behind, your bishop or rook can deliver a winning skewer.

How to Defend Against Skewers

Skewer defense is similar to pin defense, with one extra factor — the front piece is the one in danger and you usually can't avoid moving it. Defenses include:

• Block the line. Place a piece between the attacker and your valuable piece. The interposing piece must be defended.
• Capture the attacker. If the skewering piece is undefended, capture it. Always check whether you can grab it before moving the attacked piece.
• Move the back piece first. If you can see a skewer coming on your next move, move the back piece out of the line preemptively.
• Counter-skewer. Sometimes the best defense is your own threat — create a bigger problem that forces the opponent to respond first.

Famous Skewer Examples

Many legendary games feature decisive skewers. The most beautiful are endgame studies where a single skewer turns a drawn position into a win — for example, a king-and-pawn endgame where a rook check skewers king and pawn, winning the pawn and the game.

In tournament chess, skewers often appear after an opponent's king is exposed by a sacrifice. The opponent's king and queen end up on the same line, and a long-range attacker delivers the killing blow.

Questions players ask about this tactic

Related Tactics

This pattern appears constantly once you know what to look for. play chess vs the computer free and watch for it in your next few games.