Skewer - Chess tactic
Skewer
Definition
A skewer is a direct, line-based attack in which a long-range piece (bishop, rook, or queen) targets two enemy pieces that stand on the same rank, file, or diagonal. Crucially, the more valuable piece (most often the king or queen) is in front, while the less valuable piece lurks behind it. When the front piece moves to safety, the attacking side captures the piece that was “skewered” behind. For this reason the skewer is sometimes nick-named the “reverse pin”: in a pin the more valuable piece is behind; in a skewer it is in front.
How the Skewer Is Used
Because the motif relies on an unobstructed line, only the three distance-moving pieces can deliver a skewer:
- Bishop – diagonal skewers.
- Rook – files and ranks.
- Queen – any direction, making her the deadliest skewer-artist.
Typical settings include:
- Endgames: With fewer pieces on the board, lines open up and the king often steps onto files or diagonals where it can be skewered to a rook or minor piece.
- King safety lapses: A checked king on an open line is forced to move, exposing the piece behind it.
- Loose pieces: A rook or queen that “floats” without protection is an inviting target to place behind its own king or queen.
Strategic and Historical Significance
Although a skewer is a tactical idea (it usually decides material on the spot), it also carries strategic weight:
- Converting an advantage: Many won positions are simplified into easily winning endgames by means of a final skewer.
- Endgame technique: In rookie endings the defending king must constantly avoid rank-skewers such as 1…Rc1+. Capablanca was famous for nursing small advantages until a skewer clinched the game.
- Educational motif: Coaches introduce skewers early because they train a player’s “line-of-sight” calculation abilities.
Illustrative Examples
1. Basic Bishop Skewer
Imagine the following simplified diagram: White bishop on b3, white king on g1. Black king on g8, queen on c5, rook on a7. It is White to move:
1. Bxf7+! Kxf7 2. Qh5+ Ke6 3.
Qxc5
The bishop check on f7 forced the king to move, unveiling the queen on c5
to capture. A textbook diagonal skewer.
2. Capablanca – Tartakower, New York 1924
Just before the finish the position (after 29…Kh8) was:
White: King g1, Queen d1, Rooks c1 & e1, Bishop b3, Knights c3 &
f3; Pawns a2, b2, c2, d4, f2, g2, h2.
Black: King h8, Queen d8, Rooks a8 & f8, Bishop e7; Pawns a7, b7, c7,
d5, f7, g7, h7.
30. Rxe7! Qxe7 31. Qe1! Qxe1+ 32. Rxe1 and the queen on d8 is skewered by the rook; after 32…c6 33. Re7 White wins material and later the game.
The entire tactic revolved around forcing Black’s queen onto a file where a rook skewer would decide.
3. Interactive Mini-Puzzle
Solve the one-move tactic from the diagram:
1. Qd8+! forces 1…Kxd8 and after 2. Rxe8+ the rook skewers king and queen, retrieving the queen next move and winning outright.
Comparing Pin vs. Skewer
Players often confuse the two motifs. Keep this mnemonic in mind:
- Pin – the valuable piece is behind the target.
- Skewer – the valuable piece is in front and must move away, exposing the lesser piece.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- The word “skewer” entered English chess literature in the late 19th century; earlier texts used terms like “thrust” or “ray attack.”
- Mikhail Tal jokingly called skewers “kebabs” in post-game interviews, reflecting his love of sharp, attacking play.
- The famous compositionist Réti created numerous endgame studies whose only winning device is a subtle skewer in the fourth or fifth move.
- A queen vs. rook endgame can sometimes be defended if the weaker side keeps the king and rook “hugging” each other so that a skewer is never available; computers have table-base confirmed this defensive method.
Take-away Tips
- Before moving a long-range piece, scan the entire line for both ends—loose pieces often hide behind a king or queen.
- When your own king steps onto an open file, ask, “Is a skewer possible if I am checked?”
- Endgames are skewer territory: keep rook and king separated unless you’re the one doing the skewering.