Pin Chess Puzzles — Rated 800

10 pins rated between 800 and 999, averaging 941. 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 800 is one that players around 800 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 800

  1. Pin puzzle 1, rated 946a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 1 · rated 946 · White to play after Rb3
    Show solution

    Ra8 Qxa8 Qxa8+

  2. Pin puzzle 2, rated 835h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 2 · rated 835 · Black to play after c6
    Show solution

    Rd1#

  3. Pin puzzle 3, rated 980h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 3 · rated 980 · Black to play after Nh2
    Show solution

    Rxf1+ Nxf1 Rxc1

  4. Pin puzzle 4, rated 996a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 4 · rated 996 · White to play after Qxe4
    Show solution

    Nf6+ Kf8 Nxe4

  5. Pin puzzle 5, rated 855h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 5 · rated 855 · Black to play after bxc5
    Show solution

    Nxf4+ Kf2 Nxd3+

  6. Pin puzzle 6, rated 947h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 6 · rated 947 · Black to play after Rxb4
    Show solution

    Nd5+ Kd4 Nxb4

  7. Pin puzzle 7, rated 992h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 7 · rated 992 · Black to play after Re1
    Show solution

    Ng3#

  8. Pin puzzle 8, rated 925h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 8 · rated 925 · Black to play after Rc5
    Show solution

    Nxf3+ Kh1 Nxd4

  9. Pin puzzle 9, rated 971h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 9 · rated 971 · Black to play after Nxe5
    Show solution

    Ng3+ Kg1 Nxh1

  10. Pin puzzle 10, rated 967h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 10 · rated 967 · Black to play after Bxh6
    Show solution

    Rg8 Kh1 Rxg3

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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 800 mean?

Puzzle ratings work like player ratings. A puzzle rated 800 is one that players rated around 800 solve roughly half the time. The puzzles on this page average 941, 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.