In chess, how do I take advantage of a pinned piece?

Answer 1

PP on the PP

Put pressure on the pinned piece

An absolute pin, ie the pinned piece can not move at all because otherwise the king would be attacked in where you can either bring pawns or pieces to have more attackers than defenders to exploit a pinned piece

On the other hand, a relative pin is where a higher-value piece is behind a lower value piece - since it's not absolute, you can still apply pressure, but you have to be quick since the higher value piece behind can always move which would remove the relative pin altogether

Answer 2

Applying pressure to a pinned piece should be considered. We should first recognize the pinning piece, the pinned piece, and the piece at the end of the chain. It is important for us to know whether the pin is an absolute pin or a relative pin. An absolute pin means the piece at the end of the chain is the king, so the pinned piece cannot move at all or the king will be in danger. In this case, we can try to put as many attackers as we can on the pinned piece in order to win material.

A relative pin needs more caution from us as it has more possibility than an absolute pin. A relative pin is a pin where the piece at the end of the chain is not a king. In that case, as we are putting more attackers to the pinned piece, we should also consider if our opponent can make any sacrifices and which side is in favor at the end of the sacrificing line(s).

Another thought to keep in mind would be the speed of adding attackers to the pinned piece. If the pinning side does not have an immediate move to gather more attackers on the pinned piece, then we should calculate if we can put more attackers on the pinned before our opponent un-pins themselves. In such scenarios, if our opponent can un-pin themselves quicker, then it is possible that we do not have a way to take advantage of the pin. In this case, it would be more effective to consider improving the position rather than focusing on the pin.

Answer 3

When a piece is pinned, it is immobilized because moving it would expose a more valuable piece behind it to capture. To capitalize on this situation, one must first recognize the pinned piece. Once identified, the player can devise a strategy to exploit this constraint. This can be accomplished by coordinating attacks on the pinned piece, either overwhelming it with multiple attackers or enticing it into a vulnerable position.

Additionally, sacrificing a less valuable piece to remove the pinned piece from the board should be considered, particularly if the pinned piece holds significant importance, such as a king or a vital defensive unit. Overall, making the most of a pinned piece in chess necessitates a combination of strategic maneuvering, tactical awareness, and the ability to anticipate and respond effectively to the opponent's moves.

Answer 4

You take advantage of a pinned piece by attacking it with a pawn. This makes logical sense, since a pin is a tactic or tool where one side uses a bishop, rook or queen to fixate an enemy piece in its position, so that it cannot move without exposing something (usually more valuable) behind it.

Since a pinned piece cannot move, attacking it with the piece in chess that is the least valuable (the pawn) often leads to a situation where you can exchange your pawn for that pinned piece (of greater value than the pawn), thus leading to an overall gain for you.