ChessWorld.net, founded in 2000, is an online chess site. Play relaxed, friendly correspondence-style chess — with online daily, turn-based games — at your own pace.
The Relative Pin: A Deadly Choice
A Relative Pin occurs when a piece shields a valuable target—like a Queen or Rook—rather than the King. Unlike an absolute pin, the pinned piece can legally move, but doing so often leads to material disaster. This guide explains how to use relative pins to paralyze your opponent's army and force them into agonizing decisions.
📍 Pressure insight: A relative pin creates an agonizing choice: lose the piece or lose the game. It paralyzes the opponent's army. Learn to use pins to freeze defenders and win material.
Relative Pin Examples
A relative pin occurs when a piece is restricted because moving it would expose something valuable behind it, such as a queen, rook, or important square — but not the king. Unlike absolute pins, relative pins allow movement at a cost, which makes evaluating consequences critical. The examples below show how relative pins are created, exploited, and sometimes deliberately broken.
3. Xie v Yu
Xie Jianjun vs. Yu Lefu
1.Rxf6
1. Rxf6, gxf6 2. Qh7+, Kf8 3. Nxe6+, Rxe6 4. Rxe6, fxe6 5. Qxc7
1. Rxf6, gxf6 2. Qh7+, Kf8 3. Nxe6+, Rxe6 4. Rxe6, fxe6 5. Qxc7
8. Oren vs. Dyner
Oren vs. Dyner
1.Nb6
1. Nb6 1-0. Nb6 decoys the queen to the b6 square, so as to introduce a pin.
1. Nb6 1-0. Nb6 decoys the queen to the b6 square, so as to introduce a pin.
15. Capablanca combination
Capablanca vs. Yates
1.Nc3
1.Nc3 Rc5 2.Ne4 Rb5 3.Ned6 Rc5 4.Nb7 Rc7 5.Nbxa5
1.Nc3 Rc5 2.Ne4 Rb5 3.Ned6 Rc5 4.Nb7 Rc7 5.Nbxa5
16. Black square weakness
Nimzovitch vs. Nielsen
1.Rd7
1. Rd7, Rad8 2. Rxd6, Rxd6 3. Qf6 1-0 (....,gxf6 4. Rg4+)
1. Rd7, Rad8 2. Rxd6, Rxd6 3. Qf6 1-0 (....,gxf6 4. Rg4+)
22. Major pieces rule OK
Karaszev vs. Klamen
1.Re6
1. Re6, Qd8 2. Rg6, Rg8 3. Rxf7, Rd1+ 4. Kh2, Qb8+
1. Re6, Qd8 2. Rg6, Rg8 3. Rxf7, Rd1+ 4. Kh2, Qb8+
⚡ Chess Tactics Guide
This page is part of the Chess Tactics Guide — Learn chess tactics through core patterns and practical training — from forks, pins, and skewers to discovered attacks, deflection, and mating ideas.
📖 Essential Chess Glossary
This page is part of the Essential Chess Glossary — A quick-reference dictionary of chess terms, jargon, and definitions — filter by category and understand commentary from beginner to advanced.