What Is a Skewer in Chess? Explained for Kids

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A skewer is an attack on a valuable piece that has another piece behind it on the same line. When the valuable piece moves out of the way, the piece behind it is captured. It is like a pin the other way round.

How a skewer works

The most powerful skewers attack the king, because a king in check has to move, no matter what stands behind it.

In the diagram above, the white rook on a1 gives check to the black king on a5. The king must step off the a-file, and then the rook captures the queen on a8, which was hiding behind it.

Which pieces can skewer?

Like pins, skewers need long lines, so they are made by the bishop, the rook and the queen.

Skewer or pin?

• Pin: the piece in front is worth less than the piece behind. The front piece is stuck.
• Skewer: the piece in front is worth more, so it has to move, and the piece behind it is lost.

A helpful way to remember: in a skewer, the big piece is in front, like the first piece on a kebab skewer.

How to find skewers

• Look for the enemy king and queen, or king and rook, standing on the same row, column or diagonal.
• Check whether one of your long-range pieces can reach that line, ideally with check.
• Make sure the square you move to is safe.

For parents

Skewers are easiest to see with a rook. Put a black king and queen on the same column, give your child a rook, and ask: "Where can you put the rook so that the queen is lost?" Then try the same idea on a diagonal with a bishop.