Game Of The Week
A couple years back, I came up with a method to organize chess tactics. I called it the DROP Method. The DROP method is an acronym for the basic kinds of tactics. It is meant to remind you not to drop your pieces and help you get your opponent to drop theirs.
I said that the DROP Method was a work in progress, and it was. So, I thought I would revisit each of the four kinds of chess tactics to provide more examples.
The first kind of tactic in the DROP Method is Discovery, which I revisited on June 12th (https://cschessnews.blogspot.com/2021/06/d-is-for-discovery-ix.html).
The second kind of tactic in the DROP Method is Removal, which I revisited on June 19th (https://cschessnews.blogspot.com/2021/06/r-is-for-removal-x.html).
The third kind of tactic in the DROP Method is Overload, which I revisited on June 22nd.
The fourth kind of tactic in the DROP Method is Pin.
Pin is a chess move that immobilizes an opponent's piece.
The Pin is different from the other kinds of tactics in that it does not create multiple threats. Its main function is to prevent a piece from moving. A Pin on a target allows that target to be attacked by a lower value piece. A Pin on a support allows the capture of the piece the support is guarding.
“The pin is mightier than the sword.”
Fred Reinfeld
The Pin works by threatening a low value piece that has a higher value piece (or an unguarded piece) behind it. The low value piece is stuck (as if with a pin) to the higher value piece due to the loss of material should the low value piece move and allow the capture of the higher value piece.
If the higher value piece is the King, the low value piece is absolutely immobilized, as the rules of Chess do not allow moves where the King could be captured. Otherwise the Pin is relative, as the opponent can actually move the low value piece if he is willing to accept the loss of material. The other types of Pins are rare:
- Absolute (Pins a target to the King)
- Relative (Pins a low value target to a higher value piece)
- Cross (Multiple Pins on one piece)
- Cross-check (blocks check and counter-checks)
Here is an example from the 26th Annual Colorado Springs City Chess Championship: Qualifier. Will Wolf was trying to persuade me that his game was all theory. I just looked at this position and said, "Oh, yeah, from the book of Pretty Little Pincushions." There are so many Pins or potential Pins in this position that it might be hard to choose which one to exploit. The Black Queen is pinned to the King (Absolute), and the Black Night is pinned to the Rook (Relative). Can you find the one that works?
 |
| White to move |
P Is For Pin X
[Event "City Speed Chess Qualifier"]
[Site "https://cschessnews.blogspot.com/"]
[Date "2021.06.23"]
[Round "3.4"]
[White "Wolf, Will"]
[Black "Herman, Shirley"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B18"]
[WhiteElo "1398"]
[BlackElo "883"]
[PlyCount "47"]
[EventDate "2021.06.23"]
[TimeControl "300"]
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3
Bg6 6. f4 Nf6 7. f5 e6 8. fxg6 Bb4+ 9. c3 Bd6 10. Bd3 hxg6 11. Nf3 Bxg3+ 12.
hxg3 Rxh1+ 13. Bf1 Ne4 14. Qd3 Nxg3 15. Bg5 Nxf1 16. Kf2 f6 17. Qxg6+ Kd7 18.
Qxg7+ Qe7 19. Ne5+ Ke8 20. Qg8+ Qf8 21. Qxe6+ Qe7 22. Qc8+ Qd8 23. Qxb7 Na6 24.
Qf7# 1-0
This Week In Chess
Place, City Speed Chess Qualifier, Score
1 Richard Buchanan 6.0
2 Daniel Herman 4.5
3 Clinton Eads 4.0
4 Geo Krasnopolskiy 4.0
5 Jose Llacza Magno 3.5
6 Mark McGough 3.5
7 Joseph H Pahk 3.5
8 William Leo Wolf 3.0
9 Alec Lane 3.0
10 Patru Dumitru 3.0
11 Drew Tirado 2.0
12 Hagan Hensley 2.0
13 Shirley Herman 2.0
14 Ryan Dunagin 2.0
15 Rick Hensley 1.0
16 Jessica Diosdado 1.0
