Practice Your Piercing Pins

Guten Tag!  It's time to practice pinning again, with Mrs Jessica E Prescott (aka BoundingOwl).  These pin positions are not super easy so be sure you have learned about pins before.  You will also need to know:

• Absolute
• Relative
• Putting pressure on the pinned piece

Sometimes your job is to make checkmate, and sometimes your job is to win material.  You have to find the best move!  Pretend you are playing in a tournament where your coach or internet teachers are not there saying, "Okay, white to move, and forced mate in two..."  It's great practice for your thinking cap!  If you need a hint you can scroll down to the bottom of the page.

1.  White to move.  Find the best move.  Do you see the pin?

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.  White to move.  Don't let black in!  Definitely don't make check.

 

 

 

 

 

3.  The pin is more powerful than the trade!  Remember pp on the pp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.  Keep looking, the first move might not be the best.  White to move.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.  The pin is mightier than the trade.  And checkmate conquers all!  White to move.

 

 

 

 

 

6.  You would like to take that queen now, but you are pinned!  White to move.

 

 

 

 

 

HINTIES:

1.  The first move makes fun of the pinned pawn on f7.  Jump into the castle for a battery checkmate on g7 next.

2.  Win a bishop in 3 moves.  It's already pinned, so now, put pressure!

3.  Instead of simply trading on c6, re-pin.  Win the bishop in 3 or 4.  Put pressure on the pinned piece (pp on the pp)!

4.  This one is tricky!  Instead of trading the queens right now, create an absolute pin.  Then win the queen for free!

5.  A discovered pin.  Black will either lose the queen or the game.

6.  Look for forcing moves.  White will win the queen in two moves.

Nice work!  Remember:  A pinned piece does not protect!

Tip of the week:  If you have made a pin, great!  Now decide if you need to put pressure on it before trading it away.  Be patient and don't trade immediately if there's a better move!