Remove the Defender
Eliminate what's guarding the piece you actually want.
By capture
White to move — remove the defender.
Hint
One black piece is doing all the defensive work here. What is it defending, and can you take it?
Tap a piece, then tap where it should go.
Now try a real one
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Pinning the defender, or forcing it away with a check, works just as well as capturing it.
Removing the defender means eliminating the piece that's protecting something you want to win — by any means, not just a direct capture.
It's a broader idea than deflection: deflection specifically forces the defender away, while removing the defender covers every way of getting rid of it, including simply capturing it outright.
By capture
The most direct method: capture the defending piece, even at a small material cost, if what it was guarding is worth more. Losing a minor piece to win a queen is a trade you take every time.
By pin
A pinned piece can't do its defensive job without breaking the pin (illegal for an absolute pin, or too costly for a relative one) — pinning the defender is often as good as removing it.
By exchange or deflection
Trading off the defending piece through a normal exchange sequence removes it just as effectively as a direct capture. Or force it away entirely with a check or bigger threat — that's deflection, covered on its own page.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between removing the defender and deflection?
Removing the defender is the broader idea — eliminating a defending piece by any means, including capturing it outright. Deflection is one specific method: forcing it away rather than capturing it.
Is it worth giving up material to remove a defender?
Often yes — if what the defender was guarding is worth more than the cost of removing it, the trade is favorable even before counting the piece you go on to win.
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.