The Art of Pinning and Skewering in Chess
Commonly supported by smart and strategic players, chess is an enticing indoor sport that brings great amount of money to those who excels and make a career out of it. Winning in chess games and tournaments is not a hard job if players will focus and spend time listening to chess tips give by professionals. Most of these tips involved the effective use of offensive and defensive moves to gain an advantageous position in the game.
Two of the basic techniques that are applied by players are pinning and skewering. Having knowledge about these strategies are necessary to enhance the playing styles of players. If these moves are efficiently used by beginners, they can gain an edge by putting their opponents in a position wherein a powerful piece will be given up to save the king from further attacks. Skewering and pinning are important moves that will help players take control of the pace of a game.
Pinning is the term used by chess professionals when they attack or threaten a piece that blocks their opponents' king. When a player pinned a piece, that piece is trapped because if the player intends to move the piece, the king will be more open to checks and attacks. Players who can successfully pin one of the powerful pieces of their opponents should take advantage of the situation. Capturing the piece that is trapped is the best move that a player should do in this instance.
On the other hand, skewering is a strategic move in chess wherein players threaten two pieces of their opponents at one time. Most of the time, it is the bishop, knight and the queen which are threatened when players make this move. When players are skewered, the best possible move to do is to sacrifice the piece with a lesser value. In the case of a queen and a bishop being trapped, it is common that players will choose to save the queen and let their opponents capture the bishop.
Professionals advised that skewering should be used by players when they really intend to capture the piece with the lesser value. This strategy will allow them to have the piece and maintain a good position in the game.
In the end, players should always remember that pinning and skewering are effective strategies to enhance their chances in a game. They should always take advantage of these moves and never miss the opportunities that they can get from pinning and skewering their opponents' powerful pieces.