Chess Deflection
Force the defender away, then take what it was guarding.
Force the defender away
Loading puzzles…
Deflection is one way to remove a defender. Capturing it outright is another.
Learn to remove the defenderDeflection is forcing an enemy piece away from a duty it's performing — usually guarding a square or another piece — so you can exploit whatever it leaves undefended.
The forcing move is often a check or a bigger threat than whatever the defender is currently doing, so the opponent has no real choice but to move it away.
Forcing a defender away
The idea is simple: find a piece that's doing important defensive work, then find a forcing move (a check, a bigger capture, a mating threat) that gives the opponent no choice but to move it — or capture it — abandoning what it was guarding.
Deflection vs. removing the defender
Deflection forces the defender to move away, usually at no material cost to you. Removing the defender captures it outright, usually at some cost. Both leave the same result: whatever it was guarding is now undefended. See the dedicated Remove the Defender page for that broader family.
Frequently asked questions
What is deflection in chess?
A move that forces an opposing piece away from an important defensive duty — usually guarding a key square or piece — typically with a check or a threat it can't ignore.
How is deflection different from a fork?
A fork attacks two things at once with one piece. Deflection doesn't need to attack two things — it just needs to force one specific piece to abandon its post.
Is it free?
Yes. The board is read and analyzed right in your browser, there is no sign up, and you can do it as many times as you like.