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Breaking a Pin

Part of the Tactics section of Coddy's Chess journey. Lesson 17 of 48.

Sooner or later you are the one pinned. Three cures: block the line, move the king off it - castling does that and tucks him away - or chase the pinner until it runs out of squares. What never works: adding defenders. Extra guards do not unfreeze anything; only breaking the line does.

Try it yourselfEasy
Position 1 of 6
WatchThe tidiest cure in chess. Watch.
8a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h
The starting position.
0 / 3
All 6 positions

All lessons in Tactics

1Free Pieces

Hanging PiecesCounting AttackersGood Trades, Bad TradesIs It Safe?Puzzles: Take What Is FreeRecap: Free Pieces

4Skewers and Discoveries

The SkewerThe Discovered AttackDiscovered CheckDouble CheckPuzzles: Hidden WeaponsRecap: Skewers & Discoveries

7Mate in Two

Check, Reply, MateThe Quiet First MoveAll the Escape SquaresPuzzles: Mate in Two 1Puzzles: Mate in Two 2Recap: Mate in Two

2The Fork

One Move, Two ThreatsKnight ForksPawn and Queen ForksSeeing Forks ComingPuzzles: Fork Hunt 1Puzzles: Fork Hunt 2Recap: The Fork

5Removing the Defender

The Overloaded PieceCapture the DefenderDeflectionPuzzles: Guard DutyRecap: Removing Defenders

8Winning Endgames

King and Queen vs KingKing and Rook vs KingThe Pawn RaceOppositionProject: Finish the Game

3The Pin

Pieces That Cannot MoveThe Relative PinWinning a Pinned PieceBreaking a PinPuzzles: Pin and WinRecap: The Pin

6Mate Patterns

Back Rank RevisitedThe Smothered MateQueen Next to the KingRook Roller and Edge MatesPuzzles: Mate in One 1Puzzles: Mate in One 2Recap: Mate Patterns