Tactical motifsStep 3 of 7
The skewer
A pin in reverse: the big piece in front, the small one behind — the motif that wins the most queens in endgames.
The skewer is a pin in reverse — which is exactly why beginners confuse the two.
- Pin: the front piece is the less valuable one. It cannot move.
- Skewer: the front piece is the more valuable one. It must move — and as it goes, it uncovers what was behind it.
Remember it this way: in a pin you attack the small piece to reach the big one. In a skewer you attack the big one, and the small one falls when it steps aside.
Demonstration — use the arrows
Move list
Where it really happens: king and queen on the same rank, file or diagonal. In endgames this is the motif that wins the most queens — a badly aligned king and queen, a rook arriving with check, and the game is over.
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