--- title: "Absolute pin in chess" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/absolute-pin.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/absolute-pin" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "An absolute pin is a pin in which the piece behind the pinned piece is the king, so the pinned piece cannot legally move off the line at all." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/pin.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/relative-pin.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/skewer.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/discovered-check.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/tactics.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # Absolute pin in chess > **For AI agents:** the complete index of GeorgeLiChess pages is [llms.txt](https://georgelichess.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md. An absolute pin is a pin in which the piece behind the pinned piece is the king, so the pinned piece cannot legally move off the line at all. An absolute pin is a pin in which the piece behind the pinned piece is the king, so the pinned piece cannot legally move off the line at all. In an absolute pin, the king is the piece standing behind. A piece that moved off the line would leave the king in check, and that is against the rules, so the pinned piece simply cannot move off the line. It can still move along the line of the pin, for example a pinned rook can still [capture](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/capture.md) the pinning rook, but it cannot leave it. Because the pinned piece cannot move, it cannot take part in the fight, and it cannot capture anything outside the line. This makes it a stable target. A pinned piece also cannot capture anything off the line, so its protection of other [squares](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/square.md) is often only on paper. You can attack it again, with a pawn for example, and win it, because it cannot run. To find absolute pins, look for an enemy piece standing between your [bishop](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/bishop.md), rook or queen and the enemy king on the same line. To avoid them, keep your king off lines where your pieces stand in front of it, or break the pin before it costs you, usually by moving the king, blocking, or taking the pinning piece. In the diagram White to move plays d5. The bishop on b5 already pins the [knight](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/knight.md) on c6 to the king on e8, so the knight cannot move. The pawn attacks the knight, and because the knight cannot run, White wins it with dxc6 next move. Also called: pin to the king. ## Example position White to move plays d5. The bishop on b5 pins the knight on c6 to the king on e8, so the knight cannot move away, and White wins it with dxc6. Position (FEN): `4k3/8/2n5/1B6/3P4/8/8/6K1 w - - 0 1` Also worth reading is [Pin](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/pin.md). A pin ties a piece to its square: a bishop, rook or queen attacks it, and stepping aside would expose a more valuable piece standing behind it on the same line. It sits close to [Attraction](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/attraction.md). Attraction is a tactic that draws the enemy king or queen onto a square where it can be checked, forked or mated, usually by offering a piece that cannot safely be refused. Compare it with [Relative pin](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/relative-pin.md). A relative pin is a pin in which the piece behind the pinned piece is more valuable but is not the king, so the pinned piece may legally move but would lose that piece. Knowing "Absolute pin" helps most once you can spot it in a real game. A [first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md) with George Li starts from your own games and finds the tactics you keep missing. ## Related terms - [Pin](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/pin.md) - [Relative pin](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/relative-pin.md) - [Skewer](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/skewer.md) - [Discovered check](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/discovered-check.md) ## Guides that go further - [How to choose a chess coach](https://georgelichess.com/how-to-choose-a-chess-coach.md): What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid. - [How much does chess coaching cost?](https://georgelichess.com/chess-coaching-cost.md): Published rates for private, group and subscription chess coaching, with the source and the date of each. - [The first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li. [Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com. ## Related - [Pin in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/pin.md) - [Relative pin in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/relative-pin.md) - [Skewer in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/skewer.md) - [Discovered check in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/discovered-check.md) - [Chess terms: Tactics and combinations](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/tactics.md) - [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)