. ​📌 The Art of the Pin: 5 Must-Solve Tactics from Grandmaster Games

📌 The Art of the Pin: 5 Must-Solve Tactics from Grandmaster Games
Introduction: Why the Pin is Chess’s Deadliest Weapon
The game of chess is a battlefield of ideas, but sometimes, the simplest constraint is the most effective. Among all tactical motifs, the Pin stands out as the quiet killer—a move that doesn't just attack, but paralyzes.
A pin occurs when an attacking piece (usually a Queen, Rook, or Bishop) restricts the movement of an enemy piece because moving it would expose a more valuable piece behind it, often the King (an Absolute Pin) or another high-value piece (a Relative Pin).
In the words of the great Aron Nimzowitsch, one of the pioneers of hypermodern strategy:
> “The beauty of a move lies not in its appearance, but in the thought behind it.”
> 
The true beauty of the pin is the depth of thought it requires, transforming a simple linear attack into a strategic vice. As a dedicated chess enthusiast, I personally believe that mastering the pin is the quickest route to advancing your rating. It forces you to see not just the immediate threat, but the cascading effect of immobility.
Ready to test your tactical vision? Below are five legendary positions where Grandmasters used the pin to achieve instantaneous victory. Your task is to find the winning move!
🎯 Puzzle 1: The Absolute Pin Against the King
The Setup: A Mute Threat
This position comes from a lesser-known but brilliant game. White appears to be under pressure, but one surgical move can turn the entire tide by exploiting the relationship between the Black Knight and the King.
[Embed Chess.com Diagram/Position 1 Here - White to Move]
Your Challenge: White to move and gain decisive material.
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<summary> Click to Reveal Solution </summary>
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The winning move is 1. Re1!.
This is a perfect example of an Absolute Pin. The Black Knight on e7 is now immobilized, as moving it would expose the King on g7 to the Rook's attack along the e-file. White is now simply winning material, as the Knight is undefended and cannot be saved.
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💥 Puzzle 2: Exploiting the Relative Pin
The Setup: The Queen’s Dilemma
In this fierce middlegame, Black has managed to centralize their pieces. However, White sees a golden opportunity to pin a high-value piece against another high-value piece—the Queen against the Rook.
[Embed Chess.com Diagram/Position 2 Here - Black to Move]
Your Challenge: Black to move and win the exchange (Rook for a Bishop).
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<summary> Click to Reveal Solution </summary>
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The correct move is 1... Bg4!
This is a devastating Relative Pin. The Bishop on g4 pins the White Queen on f3 to the Rook on d1. Since the Queen is only protected by the King (a poor defense!), White is forced to deal with the pin. The best response for White leads to a loss of the exchange, or worse. This shows that the pin is not just about the King!
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🤯 Puzzle 3: The Pin that Sets up a Checkmate
The Setup: Tactical Coordination
Sometimes, the pin isn't the final blow, but the critical first step. This position requires deep calculation to see how the initial pin forces a defensive move that then enables a final, beautiful checkmate sequence.
[Embed Chess.com Diagram/Position 3 Here - White to Move]
Your Challenge: White to move and force a checkmate in three moves.
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<summary> Click to Reveal Solution </summary>
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The crucial move is 1. Nd6+!
This Pin is deceptive. It forces the Black Rook on d7 to take the Knight (1... Rxd6), as any other move leads to a quick mate. Now that the Rook has left the 7th rank, White plays 2. Re8+ (a clearance/back-rank threat) followed by 3. Qc8#. The initial Pin was merely a decoy to expose the back rank!
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💡 Puzzle 4: The Strategic Pin (Nimzowitsch’s Lesson)
The Setup: Restricting Development
This pin isn't about winning material instantly; it's about restricting the opponent's ability to develop or consolidate. It’s positional warfare.
[Embed Chess.com Diagram/Position 4 Here - Black to Move]
Your Challenge: Black to move and solidify their central advantage using a pin.
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<summary> Click to Reveal Solution </summary>
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The simple, strategic move is 1... b4.
This is a sophisticated Pin against the White pawn structure. It pins the White pawn on c3 to the pawn on d4 (indirectly). This move completely paralyzes White's Queenside and prevents White from playing c4, ensuring Black’s central dominance. As I see it, these quiet, suffocating pins are often what separate Masters from novices.
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🏆 Puzzle 5: The Immortal Pin (The Game of the Century)
The Setup: Bobby Fischer’s Genius
No discussion on tactics is complete without a quote from the legend, Bobby Fischer:
> “Tactics flow from a superior position.”
> 
In this classic position, Fischer showed how a superior position allows him to execute a clean, decisive pin.
[Embed Chess.com Diagram/Position 5 Here - White to Move]
Your Challenge: White (Fischer) to move and deliver the final, brutal pin.
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<summary> Click to Reveal Solution </summary>
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The final brilliant move is 1. Bc4!
This Bishop check immediately creates an Absolute Pin on the Black Bishop on e6, which is pinned to the King on g8. The Black King is now in check, but the defender (Be6) cannot move. Black is forced to block the check, but the position quickly collapses as the pinned Bishop will fall on the next move. A truly unforgettable tactical finish!
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Conclusion: Practice Pins, Elevate Your Game
If you take one lesson from these positions, let it be this: Always look for the lines of force.
Before you calculate a combination, visualize the Queen-Rook-Bishop alignment. Is the enemy King or Queen positioned behind a less valuable piece? If so, you have your opportunity.
I encourage you to jump onto the Chess.com Puzzle Rush and Puzzle Battle tools and specifically watch out for these pinning motifs. Consistent practice will turn the pin from a calculated tactic into an instinct.
What was your favorite puzzle from this selection? Share your thoughts and tell me how quickly you solved them in the comments below!