Skewer puzzles
84 free skewer puzzles from real games, rated 886 to 2350. Solve them on the board below; your accuracy feeds your weakness map.
What is a skewer?
A skewer attacks a valuable piece (often the king or queen) that must move, exposing a piece behind it on the same line. It's a pin in reverse: the more valuable piece is in front.
Skewers are common in endgames with rooks and bishops, and in middlegames when kings and queens line up on a diagonal.
Common mistake
Skewering into a defended piece. Make sure what's behind is loose or worth the trade.
How to spot it
Are the enemy king and another piece on the same rank, file or diagonal?
A check along that line forces the king to step aside.
In rook endgames, look for checks that end with your rook behind the enemy king and in line with its rook.
Related themes
- ForkOne piece attacks two targets at once.
- PinA piece that can't move without exposing something bigger.
- Discovered attackMove one piece, unleash another.
- Double checkTwo checks at once. The king must move.
- Hanging pieceSpot the free material, and don't leave your own.
Let the adaptive drill find your weakest pattern
Puzzles: Lichess puzzle database (CC0), filtered for popularity and play count. See how Weakspot works.