Chess Deflection Puzzles
Force a defending piece away from the square it guards, then take advantage. Every position comes from a real game.
What is a deflection puzzle?
A deflection puzzle targets an overloaded or key defender. You attack or offer it something it cannot refuse, so it leaves the piece or square it was protecting. Once it is gone, you win material or deliver mate. Deflections often start with a check or a capture that the defender has to answer.
The 32 puzzles on this page
Every position is taken from a real game in the Lichess puzzle database (CC0). Puzzle ratings range from 1055 to 2348, with a median of 1749. Ratings describe how hard the puzzle is, not your playing strength.
| Group | Puzzles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 7 | 22% |
| Intermediate | 10 | 31% |
| Advanced | 15 | 47% |
| Opening | 1 | 3% |
| Middlegame | 12 | 38% |
| Endgame | 19 | 59% |
How to solve deflection puzzles
- For every enemy piece, ask what it is defending. A piece guarding two things at once is overloaded.
- Find a forcing move, usually a check or a capture, that the defender must answer by moving.
- Check what becomes undefended once it moves: a piece, a back-rank square, or a promotion square.
- Deflection and decoy are close cousins: a deflection pulls a piece away from a square, a decoy pulls it onto a bad one.
Use a hint only after you have a candidate move. If you needed the solution, retry the puzzle later from memory; that is when the pattern sticks.
Frequently asked questions
What is a deflection in chess?
A deflection is a tactic that forces an enemy piece away from a square or piece it is defending, so that you can exploit what it leaves behind.
What is an overloaded piece?
A piece that has to defend two things at once. Attacking one of them deflects it from the other.
What is the difference between deflection and decoy?
A deflection lures a piece away from where it is needed. A decoy lures a piece onto a square where it can be attacked, often the king onto a mating square.
More puzzles
Fork puzzles · Pin puzzles · Mate in 3 puzzles · Skewer puzzles · Discovered attack puzzles · Sacrifice puzzles · Mate in 2 · Hard puzzles · All 720 puzzles. Found a tactic in your own game? Check it on the analysis board.