Chess skewer puzzles
A skewer attacks a valuable piece that has to move, which leaves the piece behind it to be taken.
It is a pin turned around: the more valuable piece is in front. Skewers often start with a check, so the king must step aside and the queen or rook behind it is lost.
8 real puzzles from games on Lichess, easiest first, rated 573 to 2723. The course has 422 skewers puzzles in all.
Puzzle 1 · rated 573
Black just played Rxf3. White to move.
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47. Rf8+ Ke5 48. Rxf3
Puzzle 2 · rated 857
Black just played Ke7. White to move.
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65. Rh7+ Kf6 66. Rh6+ Kg5 67. Rxe6
Puzzle 3 · rated 1130
White just played Ke5. Black to move.
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57... Bb2+ 58. Ke4 Bxg7
Puzzle 4 · rated 1463
Black just played d4. White to move.
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52. Qe8+ Kf6 53. Qxh5
Puzzle 5 · rated 1765
Black just played Kf5. White to move.
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41. Rf7+ Ke6 42. Qg6+ Ke5 43. Rf5+ Kd4 44. Rxd5+
Puzzle 6 · rated 2021
White just played Bxd4. Black to move.
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31... Rc1 32. Qxc1 Qh1+ 33. Ke2 Qxc1
Puzzle 7 · rated 2360
White just played Kd1. Black to move.
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43... Qd3+ 44. Ke1 Qb1+ 45. Kd2 Qxh1
Puzzle 8 · rated 2723
Black just played Rf7. White to move.
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28. Rh5 Qxc1+ 29. Kxc1 Ra1+ 30. Kb2 Rxg1 31. Rh8+ Kxg7 32. Rxd8
Free, no sign-up. Puzzles come in order of difficulty and the ladder adjusts to how you solve.
Puzzles from the Lichess puzzle database (CC0). Every line was replayed move by move by the course's rules engine. Part of Chess Path, a free chess course. Free coach for your Chess.com and Lichess games.