Pin Chess Puzzles — Rated 2000

10 pins rated between 2000 and 2199, averaging 2083. 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 2000-rated players. Puzzle ratings work like player ratings: a puzzle rated 2000 is one that players around 2000 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 2000

  1. Pin puzzle 1, rated 2056a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 1 · rated 2056 · White to play after Qf4
    Show solution

    Rf6 Qxf6 Qxf6

  2. Pin puzzle 2, rated 2005h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 2 · rated 2005 · Black to play after Qc5
    Show solution

    Qf3 Qd5 Rxg2+ Kh1 Qh3#

  3. Pin puzzle 3, rated 2064h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 3 · rated 2064 · Black to play after Qxg5+
    Show solution

    hxg5 Bc4 Rh7+ Kg1 Bd4+

  4. Pin puzzle 4, rated 2159a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 4 · rated 2159 · White to play after Nxa7
    Show solution

    Rc3+ Qc6 Nxa7+

  5. Pin puzzle 5, rated 2050a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 5 · rated 2050 · White to play after exf3+
    Show solution

    Ne7+ Kh8 Qg8+ Rxg8 Ng6#

  6. Pin puzzle 6, rated 2066h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 6 · rated 2066 · Black to play after gxh3
    Show solution

    Ng4+ Kg2 Qf2#

  7. Pin puzzle 7, rated 2181h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 7 · rated 2181 · Black to play after Nd4
    Show solution

    Re5+ Kd6 Rxd4#

  8. Pin puzzle 8, rated 2189a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 8 · rated 2189 · White to play after Qg2+
    Show solution

    Kd3 Qxh3 Rxg6 Qf1+ Qxf1

  9. Pin puzzle 9, rated 2015a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 9 · rated 2015 · White to play after Nxa7
    Show solution

    Qd8+ Kg7 Bd4 Nf6 Qxh8+ Kxh8 Bxe5

  10. Pin puzzle 10, rated 2044a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 10 · rated 2044 · White to play after Qe7
    Show solution

    Nxf6+ Qxf6 Rh8+ Kxh8 Qh7#

Train pin puzzles at your rating →

Related puzzle sets

Browse all puzzle themes →

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 2000 mean?

Puzzle ratings work like player ratings. A puzzle rated 2000 is one that players rated around 2000 solve roughly half the time. The puzzles on this page average 2083, so they suit 2000-rated players.

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.