Deflection: distracting a piece from its post

Deflections are when you tempt or force a piece away from a square where it is playing a key part in defending your opponent's position. Once it is away from that square, your attack can get through.

The basic idea

The Black Queen is being defended by the Black King. The solution? Force the Black King away from its post.

White plays Re6+, skewering the King and Queen. Black can capture the Rook, but that leaves the Black Queen undefended. Qxc6+ wins a Queen for a Rook.

PS As a bonus it also wins the Black Rook on the next move, as the White Queen is now attacking both the King on e6 and the Rook on a4.

A double attack to remove the defender

The Black Queen is guarding her Rook, but White has played the surprise move Qg4+, attacking both the Black King and the Black Queen. If the King moves, then White takes the Queen and has a won game.

The only alternative for Black is to capture the White Queen, but that allows White to take the Black Rook with check: Rxe8+. The King must escape the check, and then White calmly recaptures the Queen, remaining a Rook up.

Removing the defender (2)

White has his forces bearing down on g7, and Black is just managing to hang on by defending g7 with the Queen.

Rd8+ forces the Queen to capture the Rook (or move to e8, which is also hopeless) and White then plays Qxg7 with mate to follow on the next move.

Another Queen deflected

White could checkmate Black on e7 if it wasn't for the Black Queen, and she must be distracted from that task.

Bc6+ leaves Black no option but to capture the Bishop, when White can checkmate Black on the now undefended e7.

Bolt from the blue

Black has spotted that Nb3 would be mate if it wasn't for the White Queen guarding b3. OK, let's get rid of her.

Black plays Qa5, and if White now takes the offered Queen then Nb3 is mate (diagram 2). Moves declining the Queen offer do not save White either.

Unstoppable mate

This looks complicated, but the idea that won for White is clear enough: the Black Queen is guarding the h4 pawn, and she needs to be deflected from her post.

White attacks the Black Queen with Rb8; the Queen captures the invading Rook (alternatives are equally useless); and White can now take the pawn on h4. (diagram 2)

h4 isn't just any old square, though. It's the gateway to the Black King. Black cannot avoid a deadly check on h7, and checkmate the move after that.

Index and Pins --- Skewers --- Double attacks --- Knight forks --- Discovered attacks --- Deflection --- Back rank mates