Defend Against A Skewer Chess Puzzles
To defend against a skewer, recognize when an enemy rook, bishop, or queen attacks a valuable piece through a less valuable piece behind it. The front piece is usually forced to move—often a king responding to check—leaving the rear queen, rook, or other major piece exposed.
Look for enemy long-range pieces aligned with two of your pieces, especially when your king stands in front of a valuable attacker. You can defend by interposing a piece, moving the rear piece to safety, attacking the skewerer, or choosing a front-piece move that protects the threatened piece.
Frequently Asked Questions: defend against a skewer
- What is a skewer in chess?
- A skewer is a line attack against a valuable piece, such as a king or queen, with a second valuable piece positioned behind it. Once the front piece moves, the piece behind can be captured.
- How do you defend against a skewer?
- Move or protect the rear piece, block the attacking line, capture or attack the skewerer, or move the front piece to a square that creates a tactical threat or protects the piece behind it.
- Is a skewer always against the king?
- No. A skewer can target any valuable piece in front of another piece. King skewers are common because a king must respond to check, but queen-and-rook or rook-and-minor-piece skewers also occur.
- How can I prevent a skewer before it happens?
- Check whether your king, queen, rooks, or other valuable pieces are lined up on an open rank, file, or diagonal. Break the alignment, move one piece, or control the opponent's long-range attacker before it can create the skewer.