--- title: "Relative pin in chess" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/relative-pin.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/relative-pin" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "A relative pin is a pin in which the piece behind the pinned piece is more valuable but is not the king. The rules do not forbid the pinned piece from moving." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/pin.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/absolute-pin.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/skewer.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/discovered-attack.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/tactics.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # Relative 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. A relative pin is a pin in which the piece behind the pinned piece is more valuable but is not the king. The rules do not forbid the pinned piece from moving. 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. In a relative pin, the piece behind is a queen, a rook or some other valuable piece, not the king. The rules do not forbid the pinned piece from moving. The pin works because moving it would cost something bigger. Whether the pin holds depends on what the pinned piece can gain by moving and what the player behind it would lose. Because a relative pin is only a threat, it can be broken by a counter threat. The pinned piece might move with check or with a [capture](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/capture.md) that gives your opponent something more important to do than take the piece behind. Always look for those forcing moves before you rely on a pin. To use a relative pin, line up a [bishop](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/bishop.md), rook or queen with an enemy piece that has something more valuable behind it. To defend against one, you can move the valuable piece away, defend the pinned piece well, or attack the pinning piece. If a trade on the line costs you little, the pin does not hurt. In the diagram White to move plays Rd1. The rook attacks the [knight](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/knight.md) on d5, and the queen on d8 stands behind it on the d-file. The knight is protected by the queen, so White does not take it. It should not move, because Rxd8+ would then win the queen. ## Example position White to move plays Rd1. The rook pins the knight on d5 to the queen on d8, so if the knight moves, White wins the queen with Rxd8+. Position (FEN): `3q2k1/8/8/3n4/8/8/8/R5K1 w - - 0 1` It sits close to [Mirror defense](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/mirror-defense.md). A mirror defense is a strategy where Black copies White's moves, keeping a symmetrical position, and it works only until a concrete tactic or a forcing sequence makes the copying fail. Compare it with [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. Compare it with [Zwischenzug](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/zwischenzug.md). A zwischenzug, German for in-between move, interrupts a sequence both sides expect: instead of recapturing or answering a threat at once, a player slips in a check or bigger threat first. To see how often "Relative pin" or a pattern like it decides your own games, book a [first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): George Li reviews your games and writes a study plan around what he finds. ## Related terms - [Pin](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/pin.md) - [Absolute pin](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/absolute-pin.md) - [Skewer](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/skewer.md) - [Discovered attack](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/discovered-attack.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) - [Absolute pin in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/absolute-pin.md) - [Skewer in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/skewer.md) - [Discovered attack in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/discovered-attack.md) - [Chess terms: Tactics and combinations](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/tactics.md) - [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)