Removing the defender: a key chess tactic
Sometimes the target is protected by just one piece. Remove the defender, by capturing it, chasing it away or luring it elsewhere, and the target is left hanging.
The idea is simple, but it often hides behind an unusual move: an exchange that seems to give nothing, or even a sacrifice.
Capture the defender
The queen and the bishop aim at h7, but the knight on f6 guards it. Take the knight, and mate follows.
Other ways to remove a defender
- Chase it away: attack the defender with a pawn or a cheaper piece, so that it has to move.
- Lure it away: offer it something it must take, a check or a capture, that pulls it off its post.
- Overload it: when one piece defends two things, attack both; it can only save one.
Exercise: win a piece
ExerciseWhite to move
White to move and win a piece.
Make the move on the board: drag a piece, or click it and then a square.
Solved!
Bxc6 removes the knight, the only defender of the bishop on e5. After bxc6, Rxe5 wins the bishop. The pawn on h3 matters too: without it, Black would answer Rd1+ with a back-rank mate.
Key points
- If a target has only one defender, deal with the defender first.
- Capture it, chase it away, lure it off or overload it.
- Before you take, make sure your own back rank is safe.