Puzzles: See the Whole Board

The fork

One piece attacks two targets at the same time. A knight is the fork champion — it jumps to a square where it hits both the king and the rook. The opponent can save only one, so you win the other.

The pin

A pinned piece cannot move because behind it stands something more valuable — usually the king. Pinned pieces make great targets: they are stuck and cannot run away or defend their neighbors properly.

The skewer

A skewer is a pin turned inside out. The valuable piece stands in front and has to move — and the piece behind it is left undefended. Long-range pieces like rooks, bishops and queens love skewers.

Mate in one

The most satisfying tactic of all: a check that ends the game. Before every move, scan the board for checks. Some of them are mates hiding in plain sight — and spotting one in a real game is the best feeling in chess.