Pin Chess Puzzles — Rated 1000

10 pins rated between 1000 and 1199, averaging 1096. Each position below is from a real game, with the solution given underneath — so you can check yourself immediately rather than guessing whether you were right.

A pin freezes a piece: it cannot move without exposing something more valuable behind it. An absolute pin is against the king, so the pinned piece legally cannot move at all; a relative pin is against a queen or rook, where moving is legal but loses material. The practical skill is not spotting the pin — it is piling more attackers onto the pinned piece while it cannot run.

These are pitched at beginners. Puzzle ratings work like player ratings: a puzzle rated 1000 is one that players around 1000 solve about half the time, so if you are getting most of these you should move up a band.

Solving from a page is good for pattern recognition but not for tracking progress. The rated puzzle trainer serves puzzles matched to your own rating and adjusts as you solve, and the Mistake Trainer builds puzzles from positions you actually got wrong in your own games.

Pin puzzles rated 1000

  1. Pin puzzle 1, rated 1010a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 1 · rated 1010 · White to play after Kg7
    Show solution

    Nf5+ Kh8 Nxe7

  2. Pin puzzle 2, rated 1129h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 2 · rated 1129 · Black to play after Qf3
    Show solution

    Qg1+ Ke2 Bg4 Qxg4 Qxg4+

  3. Pin puzzle 3, rated 1076h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 3 · rated 1076 · Black to play after Ng5
    Show solution

    Nc3+ Kc1 Nxe2+

  4. Pin puzzle 4, rated 1092h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 4 · rated 1092 · Black to play after dxe5
    Show solution

    Bd3 Qxd3 Rxd3

  5. Pin puzzle 5, rated 1199a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 5 · rated 1199 · White to play after Rb8
    Show solution

    Rc8+ Bf8 Rxb8

  6. Pin puzzle 6, rated 1090a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 6 · rated 1090 · White to play after Rfd8
    Show solution

    Nf6+ Kh8 Rxh5+ Bh7 Rxh7#

  7. Pin puzzle 7, rated 1018a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 7 · rated 1018 · White to play after Rc5
    Show solution

    Rd8 Qxd8 Qxd8+

  8. Pin puzzle 8, rated 1091a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 8 · rated 1091 · White to play after Qg6
    Show solution

    Nf7#

  9. Pin puzzle 9, rated 1112h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 9 · rated 1112 · Black to play after Rxb7
    Show solution

    Rc1 Bxc1 Rxc1

  10. Pin puzzle 10, rated 1141a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 10 · rated 1141 · White to play after Kxg7
    Show solution

    Ne6+ Kg8 Nxd8

Train pin puzzles at your rating →

Related puzzle sets

Frequently asked questions

What is a pin in chess?

A pin freezes a piece: it cannot move without exposing something more valuable behind it. An absolute pin is against the king, so the pinned piece legally cannot move at all; a relative pin is against a queen or rook, where moving is legal but loses material. The practical skill is not spotting the pin — it is piling…

What does a puzzle rating of 1000 mean?

Puzzle ratings work like player ratings. A puzzle rated 1000 is one that players rated around 1000 solve roughly half the time. The puzzles on this page average 1096, so they suit beginners.

Are these pin puzzles free?

Yes. Every puzzle on this page, including its solution, is free to view with no account. The rated trainer that tracks your progress and serves puzzles matched to your rating is part of Chess Ramp Premium.