Figure 4.2.2.8[Black to move]

Now for cases where the pin must be created before worrying about whether the target can be brought down. In this case the possibility of a pin for Black here is not obvious; White’s king is not in line with any of its pieces. But if you are systematic about considering any checks Black can give and their consequences, you see that there is just one to examine here: Re1+. White’s only legal reply is Kh2. Imagine this and see that the rook on c7 would become pinned by the king’s move. Now ask whether you would be able to exploit the pin by taking the rook. It would be protected once (by White’s queen) and attacked once (by Black’s queen). You want to attack it more times than it is defended; but how? With Re1-c1—moving the rook that just gave check to put more pressure on the pinned piece.

It would be easy to overlook Rc1 by staring at the board, because you might forget that by the time White moves his king Black’s rook now would be at the other end of the board and ready for action on the first rank. When you imagine a move during a sequence, be scrupulous in seeing it vacated from its old square and on the new one—and in considering what new powers it would have once those moves have been made.

Note that when you are trying to build pressure against White’s rook, one answer would seem to be Na6. It doesn’t work, because White can reply Qc8+ (remember: Black no longer would have a rook at e8). Black then has to fend off the check by playing QxQ, to which White replies RxQ (since the pin has been dissolved); or Black can move his king or interpose his rook at e8—and then White is the one who plays QxQ, again achieving an exchange of queens rather than losing a piece. These aren’t problems if Black instead plays Rc1, because then Black has two pieces bearing down not only on the pinned piece but on the position White’s queen might be tempted to take. This takes some careful thought to see.

The general lesson is that when you have more than one piece that can be used to gang up on a pinned target, don’t rush to use the obvious one. Think about the side effects each of your choices would have: whether moving one rather than the other would leave something loose, or create a bad open line, or—as here—would create more defensive options for your opponent. Ask what his best reply move would be after each of the moves you are considering, and whether they would be equally strong.