During one of the previous lessons we have seen that attacking a pinned piece is one of the possibilities to exploit the advantage of having pinned a piece. In this tactic, other pieces were able to attack the opposing pinned piece. Pinning can also be used in combination with other tactics. A piece can be pinned to prevent it from moving to attack or to defend. This lesson is about this last mentioned aspect. We will take advantage of the fact that the pinned piece is unable (or hardly able) to move.

White is able to win a piece by 1.Bxe5.

This diagram is an example of an absolute pin, which makes it rather easy to see that the pinned piece is unable to defend the attacked piece.
 

In the next diagram the pin isn’t absolute, but it doesn’t matter in this case and White is able to play 1.Bxc4.
If Black captures the Bishop by 1…Bxc4, which is his best move, he will loose the Rook by 2.Rxf8+.

Please note that the pawn on g2 is essential in this example. Without the pawn 1.Bc4 will meet 1…Rg8+, probably followed by something like 2.Kf2 Bxc4 

 
Try to find the pin in the third diagram.

As soon as you have found the pin, you will also see that White can take the Rook on f6 for free.
After 1.Rxf6 Black isn’t allowed to play 1…Qxf6 because it will be followed by 2.Qxc7#.

These target examples are the same as mentioned before in the list of targets in the queen fork lesson.

 

One final example.

The pawn on h7 has been absolutely pinned by White’s Rook.
But this means that this pawn isn’t attacking or defending the square g6.

This results in a mate in one: 1.Ng6#.
 

The next lesson will be about the endgame: The King on the sixth rank.