Skewer chess puzzles
20 skewer puzzles from real games, ordered from easy to hard. Each has a hint and the full solution.
What is a skewer in chess?
A skewer is a reversed pin: a valuable piece in front is attacked and must move, exposing a less valuable piece behind it to capture.
How to spot a skewer
Look for an enemy king or queen on the same line as another piece further back. Check along that line with a bishop, rook or queen and collect the piece behind.
Learn it first: Skewers and x-rays
Skewer chess puzzles
Puzzle 1: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 41... Rxh2.
Puzzle rating 685
Hint
Theme: skewer, rook endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
42. Rh7+ Kg5 43. Rxh2
FEN: 8/p2R4/1p1p4/2pPp2k/4Pp2/5P2/7r/5K2 w - - 0 42
Puzzle 2: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 32... Nxf4.
Puzzle rating 729
Hint
Theme: skewer, endgame tactic
Show solution
33. Rc1+ Kd5 34. Rxc8
FEN: 2r5/1p5p/p2p2p1/2k5/P4n2/8/1P3PPP/1R4K1 w - - 0 33
Puzzle 3: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 46... Kd6.
Puzzle rating 778
Hint
Theme: skewer, bishop endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
47. Be5+ Kd7 48. Bxb8
FEN: 1b6/8/p2k1B2/1p3p1p/1P1K1PpP/P5P1/8/8 w - - 13 47
Puzzle 4: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 57. Kc5.
Puzzle rating 904
Hint
Theme: skewer, endgame tactic
Show solution
57... Rc1+ 58. Kb6 Rxc8 59. e8=Q+ Rxe8
FEN: 2N5/4Pp1p/p2Pk3/2K5/5P1P/6P1/8/4r3 b - - 2 57
Puzzle 5: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 53. Bf1.
Puzzle rating 1031
Hint
Theme: skewer, bishop endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
53... Bf5+ 54. Kf3 Bxc2
FEN: 8/8/1p2bkp1/p1p5/P1PpK2P/1P6/2P5/5B2 b - - 26 53
Puzzle 6: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 39. Kb4.
Puzzle rating 1139
Hint
Theme: skewer, endgame tactic
Show solution
39... Qa4+ 40. Kc5 Rc8+ 41. Kb6 Rxc3
FEN: 5rk1/5p2/p6R/1p1p2p1/1K4P1/2Q1P2P/PP6/3q4 b - - 14 39
Puzzle 7: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 45... Rxa5.
Puzzle rating 1196
Hint
Theme: skewer, rook endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
46. Rc2+ Kd6 47. Rxc8
FEN: 2r5/8/8/rPk2K2/5Pp1/8/3R3P/8 w - - 0 46
Puzzle 8: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 25. Kxf2.
Puzzle rating 1349
Hint
Theme: skewer, sacrifice, exposed king
Show solution
25... Rh2+ 26. Nxh2 Qxh2+ 27. Kf1 Qxc2
FEN: 7r/ppq2pk1/2p2pP1/3p4/3P2B1/2P2N2/PPQ2K2/4R3 b - - 0 25
Puzzle 9: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 34. dxc6.
Puzzle rating 1425
Hint
Theme: skewer, quiet move, endgame tactic
Show solution
34... Qh6 35. f4 Qh1+ 36. Kf2 Qxc1
FEN: 7r/6q1/p1Pk1p2/1p4p1/1P1P4/3Q2P1/P4PP1/2R3K1 b - - 0 34
Puzzle 10: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 27... Rc2.
Puzzle rating 1554
Hint
Theme: skewer, quiet move, queen and rook endgame
Show solution
28. Rh5 Ke8 29. Rh8+ Kd7 30. Rxd8+
FEN: 3q1k2/pp3p2/4pP2/3pP1R1/3P4/8/PPr4P/R5K1 w - - 1 28
Puzzle 11: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 42. Rg1.
Puzzle rating 1652
Hint
Theme: skewer, rook endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
42... Rh7+ 43. Kg6 Rg7+ 44. Kf5 Rxg1
FEN: 5k2/pp3r2/8/7K/1PP2p2/8/P7/6R1 b - - 3 42
Puzzle 12: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 16... Qc5+.
Puzzle rating 1699
Hint
Theme: skewer, middlegame tactic
Show solution
17. Qxc5 Bxc5 18. Rd8+ Ke7 19. Rxh8
FEN: rn3k1r/ppN1bppp/5n2/1Qq5/4p3/8/PP2N2P/2KR3R w - - 2 17
Puzzle 13: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 49... Kxc5.
Puzzle rating 1818
Hint
Theme: skewer, endgame tactic
Show solution
50. Ba3+ Kc6 51. Bxe7 d2 52. Kxd2 b2 53. Kc2
FEN: 8/4n1P1/8/2k5/4p3/1p1pK3/1B6/8 w - - 0 50
Puzzle 14: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 29. Qg3.
Puzzle rating 1861
Hint
Theme: skewer, endgame tactic
Show solution
29... Qxg3 30. hxg3 Rh5+ 31. Kg1 Be3+ 32. Kf1 Rh1+ 33. Ke2 Rxb1
FEN: 6k1/7p/1B4pb/p2p1r2/3p4/3Pq1Q1/PP4PP/1R5K b - - 4 29
Puzzle 15: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 21. Nxe5.
Puzzle rating 1991
Hint
Theme: skewer, discovered attack, middlegame tactic
Show solution
21... Nxe5 22. Bxe5 Rxc5 23. Qb2 Rxe5 24. Qxe5 Bf6 25. Qc5 Bxa1
FEN: 2rq1rk1/1p2b1p1/p1n4p/2P1Nb2/4pB2/QP2P2P/4BPP1/R3K2R b KQ - 0 21
Puzzle 16: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 27... b6.
Puzzle rating 2063
Hint
Theme: skewer, sacrifice, middlegame tactic
Show solution
28. cxb6 Qxd6 29. Bc5 Qb8 30. Bxe7
FEN: 6k1/2qbr1bp/1ppN2p1/p1Ppn3/3B4/PPQ5/4B1PP/5R1K w - - 0 28
Puzzle 17: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 48... Rxa7.
Puzzle rating 2161
Hint
Theme: skewer, promotion, advanced pawn
Show solution
49. b8=Q Rxh7 50. Qb1+ Kg4 51. Qxh7
FEN: 8/rP5R/8/5k2/3K4/6p1/7p/8 w - - 0 49
Puzzle 18: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 30. Qe5+.
Puzzle rating 2331
Hint
Theme: skewer, discovered attack, discovered check
Show solution
30... Qxe5 31. Rxe5 Ng5+ 32. Kg1 Nxf3+ 33. gxf3 Rfg8+ 34. Kf1 Rh1+ 35. Ke2 Rxa1
FEN: 1k3r1r/pp6/2p5/4Q3/3q4/3P1B1n/PPP2PP1/R3R2K b - - 1 30
Puzzle 19: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 26... Qg5.
Puzzle rating 2407
Hint
Theme: skewer, endgame tactic
Show solution
27. c4 Rd2 28. Qxc6
FEN: 6k1/p4ppp/1pn1p3/1N1r2q1/P5P1/2P2Q1P/1P3PK1/4R3 w - - 11 27
Puzzle 20: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 42... Kc6.
Puzzle rating 2530
Hint
Theme: skewer, sacrifice, endgame tactic
Show solution
43. Qh6+ Rg6 44. Qxg6+ Qxg6 45. Ra6+ Kb5 46. Rxg6
FEN: 8/R5rQ/2k5/3pPr2/1PpP1Pq1/2P5/7P/7K w - - 1 43