Earlville Public Library District
Children's Department
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Pins and Forks
Pin:
A pin is attacking a piece wich can NOT move because a valuable piece is behind it on the line of attack.
Think of tacking a piece of paper to the bulletin board - that piece of paper is not going anywhere until you remove the tack to free the paper. A chess pin works the same way.
Reasons for Pins: when you pin an opponent's piece you have hindered his ability to manuever his pieces to his liking. Many times a pin is between your piece and your opponent's King, thus preventing your opponent to retaliate in the manner he/she may want to. That pinned piece can not move or it would put its King in check, an illegal move.
Here are four examples for a Pin:
PUZZLE #1
The Black Bishop has the White Knight pinned against the Rook.
(if it moved, the rook would be open for attack.)
How can White save all his men and put the Black King in Check
and break the pin ~ all in one move?
Positions of Black are: Queen c8, King e8, Bishop b7, pawn f7
and pawn e6.
Positions of White are: Knight, e4, Bishop d2, Rook g2, King e1.
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PIN Puzzle ANSWER #1:
White moves the Rook to g7, putting the Black King in check. This breaks the pin and advances White in the game.
PIN Puzzle #2:
White moves first: Pin the Black Bishop.
Positions for Black: Rook a8, King g8, pawn a7,
b7, c7 and h7, bishop g4.
Positions for White: pawn a2, b2, c2, King c1, Rook e1.
WHAT IS BLACK'S BEST DEFENSE ONCE THE BLACK BISHOP IS PINNED?
Wh
IPIN Puzzle ANSWER #2:
White moves the Rook to g1, pinning the Black Bishop.
WHAT IS BLACK'S BEST DEFENSE ONCE THE BISHOP IS PINNED?
Answer: move the pawn up 2 spaces to h5, to defend the Bishop. If the Rook takes the Bishop, Black is in the position to take the White Rook.
PIN Puzzle #3:
Black moves first: Take the White Queen in 2 moves.
How would you pin the White Queen first?
Positions for Black are: King b7, rook f8, Bishop b6.
Positions for White are: Queen e5, King g3, Bishop d2.
PLUS: once you have worked this puzzle, start again with the pieces in their original places and let White go first.
White could create a Fork and in 2 turns take the Black Rook. See if you can figure it out.
PIN PUZZLE ANSWER #3
The Black Bishop moves to c7, thereby pinning the White Queen to the White King. White may move their Bishop up to defend the King, but chances are the Black will take the White Queen in the next move.
PLUS: Set this up again and let white move first. Try the various ways White could put Black in check. To create a FORK: The White Queen moves to e7, putting the Black King in check and threatening the Black Rook at the same time. This is called a Fork.
PIN Puzzle ANSWER #4:
White Bishop moves to c3, pinning the Black Rook to the Black King.
What is Black's best defense once the Rook is pinned?
Answer: move Black King to e5, defending the Rook against the White Bishop.
I
PIN Puzzle #4:
White moves first.
How can White pin the Black Rook?
What is Black's best defense?
Positions for Black: King f6, pawn, g5, Rook d4.
Positions for White: Bishop d2, King f2, pawn g2.
FORKS:
Making a threat to two important pieces so your opponent has to sacrifice one of them.
Forks can be created by all the pieces. The following puzzles will show several basic forks.
Have your students practice these until they can create a fork in their chess play.
PUZZLE #1:
White: King f3, Knight f4
Black: King f6, Queen e7
How can White create a fork on Black? And ... put the King in check at the same time?
W
IPUZZLE ANSWER #1
If the White Knight moves forward one and left two (d5) he creates a fork between the Black King and Queen.
The Black King is in check and the Queen is threatened.
HOW SHOULD BLACK RESPOND TO THIS FORK?
ANSWER: The Black King is in check and must move - the best place is to move defensively - closer to the Queen. By doing this, he helps protect the Queen, but if the Knight takes the Queen in the next move, the Black King can take the white knight in one move.
PUZZLE #2
White: King d2, Queen e3, Rook e4
Black: King d7, Queen f7
How can White create a fork?
PUZZLE ANSWER #2 ....
To create a fork the white Rook would move ahead to e7. But this fork is not the best solution to this puzzle. Yes, the Black King is in check, and if the Black Queen takes the rook, it may cost her life. It is a daring move and one a player must consider if the sacrifice is the correct move.I
PUZZLE ANSWER #2 ...
Another play for white would NOT be a fork. Moving the white Queen to f4 puts the Black King in check, forcing him away from his Queen and saving the white Rook in the process - which will make it much easier to put the black King in check in the following moves.
SO... PLAYERS NEED TO THINK AHEAD TO THE NEXT MOVES - TO DECIDE IF A FORK IS THE BETTER MOVE THIS TIME OR ANOTHER, STRONGER MOVE WOULD WORK.
PUZZLE #3:
White: Pawn g2, King f3, Queen f6
Black: King e8, Bishop f8,
Here the white Queen has a fork between the Black Bishop and Rook.
What is the best move for Black?
PUZZLE ANSWER #3:
The Black Rook should move to protect the Bishop by moving to g8.
This is a bad situation for Black. No matter where they move, the Queen has them up against the wall! This is partly due to Black not developing his pieces as he should have. The Black Bishop should have moved out from his orignial position long before now. Black is paying the consequences of not developing his game.
The White Queen can now move to e6, put the King in check, with a fork to the Rook.
Have your students play this game to the end. This is good practice in a checkmate.
