Tactics
What is a skewer?
A skewer is like a reverse pin: the more valuable piece is in front, and moving it away exposes the less valuable piece behind to be captured. Rooks and bishops are the best skewering pieces.
2 interactive positions - drag or click to make your move
White to move
Tactics · What is a skewer?
White to move. The white rook can give check in a way that SKEWERS the black king and the black rook behind it. Once the king is forced to move, the other rook is captured. Find the skewer!
Drag a piece to its destination, or tap/click to select then tap the target square.
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Tactics
What is a fork?
A fork attacks two pieces at the same time with one move. Knights are the best forkers because their moves cannot be blocked. Find the fork in each position.
Tactics
What is a pin?
A pin stops a piece from moving because moving it would expose a more valuable piece behind it. An absolute pin involves the king - the pinned piece literally cannot move.
Tactics
Back-rank checkmate
When your king is stuck behind its own pawns with no escape squares, a rook or queen on the back rank delivers checkmate. This is one of the most common ways beginners lose.
Chess Thinking
Don't hang pieces
A 'hanging' piece is undefended and can be captured for free. Spotting your own hanging pieces before moving - and your opponent's - is the single fastest way to stop losing material.
Practise on your real games
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