Deflection

Don't look at what you can attack — look at what is defending. Often a single piece holds the whole position up.

An enemy piece is defending something important. You make it leave — and what it was defending falls.

This is a hunter’s motif: you do not look at what you can attack, you look at what is defending. Often a single piece is holding an entire position together.

Demonstration — use the arrows

Move list

Start

The only defender. White wants the back rank: the rook on a1 dreams of reaching a8. But the queen on d7 can block on d8. She is the only obstacle — so we remove her: the d1 rook takes on d7, and the rank opens.

How to look: find the square you want to occupy, then ask yourself who defends it? If the answer is “one piece only”, you have your deflection.

Your turn

White to move

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Move1 / 1

Attempts0

Play your move on the board: drag a piece, or tap it and then tap its destination square.

Remove the defender of the back rank.