Pin Chess Puzzles — Rated 1200

10 pins rated between 1200 and 1399, averaging 1338. 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 1200 is one that players around 1200 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 1200

  1. Pin puzzle 1, rated 1368h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 1 · rated 1368 · Black to play after Kb2
    Show solution

    Nd3+ Ka3 Nxf4

  2. Pin puzzle 2, rated 1283a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 2 · rated 1283 · White to play after Be6
    Show solution

    d7 Bxd5 d8=Q

  3. Pin puzzle 3, rated 1364a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 3 · rated 1364 · White to play after Qxf5
    Show solution

    Nd6+ Rxd6 Qxf5+

  4. Pin puzzle 4, rated 1397a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 4 · rated 1397 · White to play after Nhg6
    Show solution

    Qxh6+ Kg8 Qxg7#

  5. Pin puzzle 5, rated 1337a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 5 · rated 1337 · White to play after e4
    Show solution

    Ng5+ Kg8 Qxe2

  6. Pin puzzle 6, rated 1319h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 6 · rated 1319 · Black to play after f4
    Show solution

    Ra5+ Kd4 Ra4 Rxa4 b1=Q

  7. Pin puzzle 7, rated 1225a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 7 · rated 1225 · White to play after Bg6
    Show solution

    Rxg6#

  8. Pin puzzle 8, rated 1394h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 8 · rated 1394 · Black to play after Qxf3
    Show solution

    Rf8 Qxf8+ Bxf8

  9. Pin puzzle 9, rated 1317a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 9 · rated 1317 · White to play after dxe3
    Show solution

    Nxc6+ Ka8 Qa5#

  10. Pin puzzle 10, rated 1379a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 10 · rated 1379 · White to play after Bxh5
    Show solution

    Bxf6 Bxf6 Bxh5

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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 1200 mean?

Puzzle ratings work like player ratings. A puzzle rated 1200 is one that players rated around 1200 solve roughly half the time. The puzzles on this page average 1338, 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.