# How to use pins in chess without missing the reply > Learn how to use pins in chess with three real games: exploit a pinned queen, escape pressure and check the counterattack before creating a pin. - URL: https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/mistakes/pins/ - Updated: 2026-11-05 - Author: Ignacio Soler To learn how to use pins in chess, identify **the attacker, the piece in front and the target behind it**, then check the opponent's reply. A pin restricts a piece because moving it would expose something important. It does not automatically win material. [Chess.com's pin guide](https://www.chess.com/terms/pin-chess), checked November 5, 2026, distinguishes pins against the king from those against other targets. This guide uses three positions from the founder's finished Chess.com games. One capture creates a pin on a queen. Another pin looks useful but allows a counterattack. A third shows why a pinned knight needs attention. All diagrams and the suggested moves were checked with Stockfish on November 5, 2026; their lessons describe these positions, not every possible pin. ## How to use pins in chess: name the three pieces Before calculating, identify the line. Bishops use diagonals; rooks use ranks and files; queens can use both. Then work through the pieces in order: | Part of the pin | Your question | Why it matters | |---|---|---| | Attacker | What is looking along the line? | Check whether it can stay there or be captured | | Piece in front | What would move out of the way? | Check its legal moves and whether it is attacked again | | Target behind | What would be exposed? | A king changes legality; another piece changes the trade-off | In an **absolute pin**, moving off the line would leave the king in check, which is illegal. In a **relative pin**, the target behind is something else, often a queen, and the piece may legally move. Those definitions come from [Chess.com's explanation](https://www.chess.com/terms/pin-chess). Avoid the shortcut “a pinned piece can never move.” The precise question is whether a move would expose the king or allow an unacceptable loss. The first example even allows a queen to capture the piece pinning it. Follow the line on the board rather than treating a label as a complete calculation. ## A capture that creates a pin on a queen In [nacsol3 versus Camadonnnna](https://www.chess.com/game/live/120079260212), played on October 14, 2024, White's bishop on a4 could take Black's knight on c6. Behind that knight stood Black's queen on d7 and king on e8. > **Taking the c6 knight places White's bishop on the diagonal through Black's queen to the king** > Position (FEN): `1r2k1nr/2pqp3/p1n2p1b/3p4/B2P2bp/2P1PN2/1PQN1PPB/R3K2R w KQk - 2 19` > Played: b3 — Pawn to b3 leaves the capture and pin unused > Better: Bxc6 — Bishop takes the c6 knight and pins the queen on d7 to the king on e8 After the capture, the bishop attacks Black's queen with the king behind it. The queen cannot simply leave that diagonal and expose its king. However, it **can** capture the bishop on c6 while staying on the line: being pinned is not the same as having no legal move. The engine supports this capture. Its checked continuation lets Black's queen recapture the bishop, then White's queen checks from g6 and later captures Black's bishop on g4. In the fresh analysis, checking from g6 first is another leading candidate. The green arrow therefore shows an engine-supported way to exploit the position, not a claim that there is only one good move. In the real game White played the quiet pawn move to b3 instead. The capture and checking sequence above is an engine variation. The [week 41 diary](/journey/week-2024-w42/) records the wider story; here the useful exercise is to find the aligned pieces before choosing a pawn move. ## Creating a pin can still be a mistake A second game from the same week makes a different point. In [nacsol3 versus Arya1956](https://www.chess.com/game/live/120119133144), played on October 16, 2024, White could develop a bishop from f1 to b5. That move really did pin Black's bishop on c6 to the king on d7. > **The bishop move creates a pin, but White's queen on a5 also needs attention** > Position (FEN): `3r3r/1ppkqppp/2b1p3/Q7/3Pp3/4P1P1/PPP2PP1/2KR1B1R w - - 3 16` > Played: Bb5 — Bishop to b5 pins the bishop on c6 to Black's king > Better: Kb1 — King to b1 is the fresh engine's leading move before White commits to the pin The opponent did not have to solve the pin immediately. Black moved a rook to a8, attacking White's undefended queen on a5. The actual continuation was the bishop capturing on c6 with check, Black's pawn recapturing, and White's queen moving to e5. Stockfish's check after the original pin supports the rook counterattack and evaluates the position about level. This is why “pin and win” is an incomplete instruction. Before creating a pin, inspect your own loose pieces and the opponent's checks and attacks. Ask whether you are gaining time, or whether the other side can force you to answer a different problem. The fresh engine prefers moving the king to b1 in the starting position, with developing the bishop to c4 also among its leading choices. An older diary analysis may order these candidates differently. The point does not depend on a tiny score difference: the attractive pin was not a free tactical gain. ## When your own knight is pinned In [SAHARA1945 versus nacsol3](https://www.chess.com/game/live/148163541448), played on January 18, 2026, Black faced a bishop on b5 pinning the c6 knight to the king on e8. White's knight on e5 also attacked the pinned knight. > **Black's c6 knight cannot leave the diagonal while that would expose the king on e8** > Position (FEN): `r2qkb1r/ppp1pp1p/2n1bnp1/1B2N3/3P4/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQK2R b KQkq - 4 7` > Played: Bg7 — Bishop to g7 develops but leaves the pinned knight under pressure > Better: Bd7 — Bishop from e6 to d7 puts another piece between the c6 knight and the king The engine includes blocking with the bishop on d7 and attacking the pinning bishop with the a-pawn among its leading responses. In this fresh check they receive the same displayed evaluation. Neither is presented here as a promise to equalize: White still has the better position. Black instead developed the other bishop to g7. The game continued with White pushing the d-pawn, followed by Black's knight capture on d5, White's knight capture on c6 and Black's b-pawn recapturing. This actual sequence differs from the engine's preferred defensive line. The [week 103 diary](/journey/week-2026-w03/) gives the full context. The repeatable question is what your opponent can add against the pinned piece. Developing an unrelated piece may be sensible in another position; it did not address the pressure here. ## A practice routine for pins and counterattacks Use this as a review exercise after a finished game: 1. **Stop before the pin or missed capture.** Name all three pieces and trace the line. Do not start by memorizing the engine move. 2. **Check legality precisely.** Try the pinned piece's move on the analysis board. Does the king become exposed, or is the move legal but expensive? 3. **Compare two plans.** For the attacker, consider adding pressure or capturing. For the defender, consider blocking, exchanging the attacker or moving the target behind. The position decides which is available. 4. **Look away from the pin.** Check the opponent's strongest threat elsewhere. The queen attack in the Arya1956 game is the reminder to practise. 5. **Explain the result in a sentence.** “This move creates a pin, but my queen is loose” describes a useful decision. “The engine dislikes it” does not tell you what to watch next time. [Lichess offers pin-themed puzzles](https://lichess.org/training/pin), checked November 5, 2026, if you want more positions. Also review [forks and their replies](/mistakes/forks/): tactical patterns can interact, and a pinned attacker may change an apparent double attack. For a broader process, use our [six-step beginner game review](/guides/how-to-analyze-chess-games-as-a-beginner/). ## Ask Chess Coach about the restriction Chess Coach uses Stockfish to review finished Chess.com and Lichess games inside Claude or ChatGPT. Ask, “Show the pin. Which piece is behind it, what moves are legal, and what is the opponent's strongest reply?” The interactive board lets you compare the played move and engine alternatives, then practise the mistake. Use the public listings linked from [Connect Chess Coach](/connect/). The review is for finished games, never games in progress. The goal is a concrete habit: identify the restriction, then calculate what the other side can do about it. ## FAQ ### How do I use pins in chess? Find a line with an enemy piece in front of a more important target. Check whether you can attack along that line, then calculate what the opponent can do before adding pressure or capturing. A pin is a restriction, not an automatic material win. ### What is the difference between an absolute and a relative pin? An absolute pin protects the king: a move that exposes that king to check is illegal. A relative pin protects another target, such as a queen, so moving the pinned piece can be legal even when it is costly. ### Can a pinned piece move or capture? Sometimes. A move is legal if it still leaves the king safe. A pinned sliding piece may be able to stay on the pinning line or capture the attacker; a relative pin does not make a move illegal. Check the actual position. ### How do I escape a pin? Depending on the position, capture the attacker, block its line, move the valuable target behind the pinned piece, or find a stronger response. Calculate the opponent's reply rather than automatically pushing a pawn at the pinning piece. ### Why did my pin not win anything? The opponent may have a counterattack or enough time to unpin. In the real example against Arya1956, the bishop move created a pin, but Black attacked White's undefended queen with a rook and the engine judged the position about level. ## Related - [How to spot forks in chess: a scan before every move](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/mistakes/forks.md) - [Week 41 (Oct 2024): pins, pins and hanging on at 1001](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey/week-2024-w42.md) - [Week 103 (Jan 2026): a pin on c6 and back up to 1292](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey/week-2026-w03.md) - [How to analyze chess games as a beginner (6 steps)](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/guides/how-to-analyze-chess-games-as-a-beginner.md)