Spotting forks, pins, and skewers
Three simple tactical patterns that are enough to win material in the vast majority of beginner games.
Key takeaway
Before every move, ask yourself: can I create a fork, a pin, or a skewer?
Three tactical patterns keep coming back, even at a high level. Learning to spot them is one of the fastest ways to improve.
The fork
A single piece attacks two (or more) enemy pieces at once, which can't both be saved. The knight is the fork champion thanks to its "L" movement, but any piece can create one: a queen, a rook, even a pawn.
The pin
An enemy piece can't move without exposing a more valuable piece behind it, on the same line. A pin against the king is absolute: the pinned piece is not legally allowed to move. A relative pin (on a piece other than the king) isn't illegal to break, but is often very costly to.
The skewer
The reverse of a pin. A valuable piece is attacked in a line, with a less valuable piece right behind it. When the valuable piece moves to safety, the piece behind is left to be captured.
How to spot them in practice
- ✓Before moving, check each piece: what squares does it attack if I move it here?
- ✓On the opponent's side: which pieces are poorly protected, aligned, or near your knights?
- ✓Defensively: are any two of my pieces aligned on the same file, rank, or diagonal?
Most winning forks are missed not because they're invisible, but because the player doesn't take five seconds to actively look for them.
Check your understanding
In a pin, what can't the pinned piece do?