Deflection in
chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...
is a tactic that forces an opposing piece to leave the square, rank or file it occupies, thus exposing the king or a valuable piece. It is typically used in the context of a combination or attack, where the deflected piece is critical to the defence. Deflection may be used as a
gambit
A gambit (from Italian , the act of tripping someone with the leg to make them fall) is a chess opening in which a player sacrifices with the aim of achieving a subsequent advantage.
The word '' gambit'' is also sometimes used to describe sim ...
to cause an opponent's piece to move to a less suitable square.
Deflections are often used as part of a
combination
In mathematics, a combination is a selection of items from a set that has distinct members, such that the order of selection does not matter (unlike permutations). For example, given three fruits, say an apple, an orange and a pear, there are th ...
which may involve other types of
chess tactics
In chess, a tactic is a sequence of moves that each makes one or more immediate threats ─ that is, a check, a material threat, a checkmating sequence threat, or the threat of another tactic ─ which culminates in the opponent being unable to ...
as well.
If the deflected piece happens to be an
overworked piece then the opponent's defense instantly crumbles, making victory imminent to the one who employed the deflection.
The Hook & Ladder Trick
''Chess Life'' Dana Mackenzie
See also
* Overloading
* Sacrifice
References
External links
Chess Tactics Repository - Deflection
- Collection of chess problems on deflection
101 Chess Tips - Deflection
- Relates deflection to an overworked piece
Chess Guru - Learn how to use deflection in chess
- A tutorial in the use of deflection to win games
- Shows several chess problems involving deflection
{{chess
Chess tactics
Chess terminology