Tactical Motifs
Skewer
Also known as:x-ray attack
Definition
A skewer is a tactic where a valuable piece is attacked and forced to move, exposing a less valuable piece behind it as the next target. Skewer is the reverse of pin: pin protects the valuable piece behind, while skewer forces the valuable piece to move first so the piece behind can be captured.
Usage and Example
Example: white rook on e1 skewers black queen on e5 to black bishop on e8. The queen must move because it is attacked by the rook, then the rook captures the bishop on e8.
Grandmaster Tier Context
T2 Club. Tactical concept that appears after pin. Grandmaster coaches teach skewer patterns in heavy-piece endgames (Q vs R, R vs B).