Is this a Pin? or a Skewer? What is this called really?

Ok, I see where this is going, and no good can come of it.

Your words.

Textbook skewer. Skewers also have nothing to do with piece value. The position is indeed a skewer because if the bishop moves, he loses the knight. if that knight were a king it would be a pin.

that is, if the king weren't on a square the subjects it to a check by the bishop.

Yes, if either of the pieces were a King we would definitely be able to call this a pin or a skewer - the interesting question is what we ought to call it when there's no meaningful difference in piece value. I quite like the suggestion of "kebab" and suggest we adopt it.

Of course in this position the game's drawn even if White wins one of the minor pieces.

It is a draw even if white has a rook versus a knight because

Put that in your Pipe and .... xD

1...Bc3+ 2.Rxf5 0-1

Black wins because White made an illegal move.

Its a pin because the knight can be used to force a draw, whereas the bishop cant do so. Therefore the knight is more valuable than a bishop and its a pin.

Oh my god!!

I  totally forgot about this one.

I believe it's actually called an "X-Ray"

Not seeking attention! Just wondering, because it appeared in one of my games and in a tactic puzzle too.

Forgot about x-ray attacks. Sorry.

When you define x-ray loosely, all pins and skewers are x-rays. There are other definitions, some of which may apply here. Nonetheless, as this particular arrangement on pieces highlights an ineffectual attack, the term kebab seems most in keeping with Greco's original ideas, insofar as we can know the contents of a book that has wholly disappeared.

neither--bishop can give check and you can save the knight.

That term might stick, especially if you use a more appropriate name: Babyhands, Ol' Landslide, Cheeto Jesus, Prez. PG, ...

Ol' Landslide's Wall has a nice ring and seems apropos for a tactic that isn't there, nor will be.

I have to admit, I'm a little miffed about this one. The answer seems so simple, but it really doesn't meet the definition of any common attacks (Pins, Skewers, X rays).

According to Wikipedia, there are four different types of pins:

1. Absolute Pin - Where the piece shielded by the pinned piece is the king.

In an absolute pin, the pinned piece absolutely cannot move to any square for it would be illegal.

2. Relative Pin - Where the shielded piece is of a higher value than the pinned piece.

For example: A knight is shielding a rook or a queen. This is the opposite of a skewer where the more valuable piece is the shield.

3. Partial Pin - Where the pinned piece can still move along its own file, rank or diagonal but cannot move off any of the former if it exposes a check.

For example: A white bishop on b2 attacks the black queen on e5 and the black king is on g7. The black queen can move about on the b2-g7 diagonal, but cannot move off of it.

4. Situational Pin - Where a piece being attacked should not move off of it's square because it will result in a strong attack (Often times mate or big loss of material). The pinned piece is not actually shielding another piece; it's shielding a strong attack.

For example: A black rook is attacking a white bishop, but the bishop cannot move because it will enable black to have a back-rank mate on white.

So yeah, none of these seem fit to answer the OP's question.

And then the skewer involves a piece of high value shielding a piece of lower value. I had no idea that piece value was involved. I just thought that if a piece is attacking a piece that's shielding another piece that it's a skewer. He's basically stabbing the piece through the shield.

And then IM Silman gives this article explaining what an X Ray is. It looks like an X Ray is also something much different that the definition I know. When the white queen gives check, it's an X Ray.

https://www.chess.com/article/view/x-ray---chess-taser

I believe in that situation it is the rook that has the x-ray attack on the the e8 square. It is attacking a location, through another piece.

Equal value skewer/ equal value pin