🛡️ Practice Removing the Defender puzzles
Capture or chase the piece that guards a key target.
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About Removing the Defender
Removing the defender — also called removing the guard — wins by eliminating the piece that holds the enemy position together. If a knight is the only thing defending a mating square, or a rook is the only guard of a hanging piece, then capturing or driving away that defender collapses everything behind it. This tactic teaches you to ask a powerful question in every position: what is defending the thing I want? These {count} removing-the-defender puzzles train you to identify the critical guard and take it out.
Frequently asked questions
What is removing the defender?
It is a tactic where you capture or deflect the piece that defends a key square or piece, so that the target then falls.
How do I find removing-the-defender tactics?
Identify the enemy piece you want to win or the square you want to invade, then find what defends it and how to eliminate that defender.
Is removing the defender the same as deflection?
They are closely related. Removing the defender often means capturing the guard outright, while deflection forces it away with a threat.
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