“If the student forces himself to examine all the moves that smite, however absurd they look at first glance, he is on the way to becoming a master of tactics.”
– Cecil Purdy
At times, an enemy piece might appear to be the cornerstone of your opponent’s defence. It blocks access to critical entry points for your attack while simultaneously supporting its own forces by protecting pieces positioned on key squares of the board. Such a setup may seem solid for the defender, but do not be overly impressed. With the deflection tactic, you can often succeed in breaking through this defensive arrangement.
This tactic is particularly effective when the piece in question is overworked, having to defend or support multiple squares and pieces on the board simultaneously. An overworked piece becomes inefficient and vulnerable to distraction, as it cannot maintain support for all the critical points under its protection. By exerting pressure on these unsupported points, you can exploit the piece’s limitations. Deflection works by forcing the overworked piece to make a choice between the tasks it should prioritise, creating an opportunity to undermine your opponent’s defence.
Let us explore the deflection tactic in action through a concrete example. In the diagram below, Black has offered to exchange Queens in an attempt to simplify the position. Black believes that his Queen is well-supported, being protected by the Bishop on g7. However, White has a trick up his sleeve. The g7 Bishop is not just guarding the Queen — it also plays a crucial role as the only available defender against a potential check on the 8th rank. White can therefore force the overworked Bishop to choose between its two responsibilities. In this scenario, as you will see, the Bishop will have no viable choice at all.
It may also occur that a sacrifice is required to execute a deflection. In fact, it can often be worthwhile to sacrifice material to gain an advantage through a deflection tactic. Typically, the sacrificed piece acts as bait to lure the enemy piece away from its critical position.
In the next example, White sacrifices one of his Rooks to gain a material advantage by deflecting the Black Queen from its current square. In the position shown, we can observe that the Black Queen is the only defender of the Bishop on f6. If the Queen ceases to support the Bishop, White can capture it with his Knight on e4. Additionally, after the capture, the Knight will create a fork, simultaneously attacking the Rook on d7 and the Black King.
Diagram 9.29 – A deflection with a sacrifice
So now you can add one more tactic to your amunitions. Try to make good use of it!
