Don't leave the pieces stranded

Beginners need to take care that their pieces are not left stranded on the same row, file or diagonal as they may then be subjected to a 'pin' or a 'skewer', resulting in the loss of a piece. A pinned piece is to be persistently attacked till it can be captured while a ‘skewer’ is a sort of double attack.

In the game which follows, an interesting position arises after Black’s 28th turn when three of White’s pieces are caught on the same file. White with hardly any choice at this point, makes a mistake and the game collapses suddenly.

White: Henrik El Kher (2338) – Black: Sune Berg Hansen (2499)
Aarhus, 1999
Queen’s Indian Defence
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3
White is fianchettoing the bishop on both sides
5. ..Bb7 6.Bg2 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 c5 8.0–0 0–0 9.Qc2
White played a new move here. If 9.Bxb4 cxb4  10.a3 Nc6  11.axb4 Nxb4. And if 9.a3 Bxd2 10.Qxd2 cxd4 11.Qxd4 Nc6
9...Be4
Both of Black’s bishops are bang in the centre of the board. Black also could play 9. ..Bxd2 10.Nbxd2 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Bxg2 12.Kxg2 Nc6 13.N2f3 Nxd4 14.Nxd4 d5
10.Qb2. An awkward looking square for the queen but at the moment it is the right one!
10. ..Nc6 11.Bxb4
If 11.dxc5 bxc5  12.Nc3 Bg6
11...cxb4 12.Nbd2
White could have thought of 12.a3 to dislodge Black’s pawn and try to develop his knight to c3
12...d5 13.Rfd1
If 13.e3 Rc8 14.Nxe4 Nxe4 15.Nd2 Nc3
13...Rc8 14.a3 bxa3 15.Rxa3 a5 16.Raa1 Nb4 17.Rac1
If 17.Nxe4 Nxe4  18.Ne5 Qe7
17. ..Qe7 18.Nxe4 Nxe4 19.cxd5
Wrong strategy! White suddenly decides to open this crucial file and it will be easy for Black to get plenty of active play with his two strong knights at the centre. Better appears 19.Ne5 Rfd8  20.Qa1 Rc7  21.Qb1 f6 And if 19.e3 Rc7 20.Ne5 Rfc8 21.Nd3 Nxd3 22.Rxd3 Nd6
19...exd5 20.Bh3.  If 20.Rxc8 Rxc8 21.Rc1 Rc7 And if  20.Ne5 Qe6
20...Rxc1 21.Rxc1
If 21.Qxc1 b5 (21...Qf6 22.Qc7 And if 21...Na2 22.Qc2 Nac3 23.Rd3 Qa3 24.Kg2 Qa1 25.Bf5) 22.Ne5 Na2 23.Qe3 Nac3
21...Qf6 22.Rc7
Infiltrating the seventh rank. If 22.Rf1 Qh6 23.Bg2 Rc8
22...h5
Black is threatening to steamroll his pawns on the King-side and subject White to a strong attack.
23.Qc1. If 23.Bg2 g5 24.e3 Nd3
23...g5 24.g4
Almost forced for if 24.Rc8 g4 25.Rxf8+ Kxf8 26.Bxg4 hxg4 27.Qc8+ Kg7 28.Qxg4+ Qg6 and Black is better
24...Na2 25.Qe3
If 25.Qc2 hxg4 (25...Qf4 26.gxh5 g4 27.e3 Qf5 (27...Qxf3 28.Bg2) 28.Qxa2 gxh3 29.Ne1 Qxh5) 26.Bxg4 Qf4 27.Bd7 g4 28.e3 Qxf3 29.Qxa2 Ng5
25...Qd6 26.Ra7 hxg4 27.Bxg4 f5 28.Nxg5. A big blunder! Black falls for the free pawn. If 28.Nd2 Qf4! 29.Qxf4 gxf4 30.Nxe4 fxg4 31.Nd2 Rc8
28...Qg6
Diagram 1
A super move! It is interesting to note the positioning of pieces on the ‘g’ file. The White bishop, knight, King and the Black queen and King
29.Nh7
Another mistake! If 29.Nxe4 dxe4
29...Qxg4+ 30.Kh1 Rf7 31.Rxf7 Kxf7 32.Qh6
Another mistake which brings the game to an abrupt halt! But then the position already was difficult for White.
If 32.f3 Qh3
32...Nxf2 checkmate
0–1
Diagram 2
White to play and win making use of a skewer attack
 1.Rxe7 Qxe7 2.Qh8+ Kf7 3.Qxc8 and White wins