Exercise 7.1Find the move
White to move
Black has just played 14...dxc4?. Find the move that punishes it.
7
Tactics Essentials · Kapilash Chess Academy
Removing the Defender
Capture or chase the guard
In this lesson you will learn
- How to find the piece that holds the position together
- Capturing the defender
- Chasing the defender away
- Overloaded pieces: one defender, two jobs
Every board on this page is live. Move the pieces by tapping or dragging, click any move in the lines to see that position, and press ↺ to start again.
7.1 Who Defends What?
Often a piece or a mating square is protected by just one enemy piece. If you remove that defender — by capturing it, exchanging it or chasing it away — the target falls. Ask of every enemy piece: what is it defending?
Diagram 7.1White to move
Example 7.1 · Capture the guard
Black's rook on c8 has two jobs: it defends the knight on c3, and it guards the back rank against ♖e8.
1.♖xc3! — after 1...♖xc3 the black rook has left the back rank, and 2.♖e8# is mate. The rook on c8 had two jobs: guarding the back rank and the knight. A piece with two jobs is overloaded.
Diagram 7.2Black to move
Example 7.2 · The pinned defender
White has just played ♘ce4. The knight on d2 is pinned by the bishop on b4 and is defended by the knight on e4.
7...♘xe4! removes the knight that defended d2. White cannot take back, because the d2-knight is pinned to the king. After 8.♗d3 ♗xd2+ Black is a piece up. Two patterns worked together here: a pin and the removal of a defender.
Remember
- Ask what each enemy piece defends.
- Capture, exchange or chase the defender away.
- An overloaded piece has two jobs and can do only one.
- Removing the defender often wins material or mates.
Exercises · Lesson 7
Every exercise comes from real opening play and has been checked with a chess engine. Find the strongest move and play it on the board.
Exercise 7.2Find the move
White to move
Black has just played 7...♘c4?. Find the move that punishes it.
Exercise 7.3Find the move
Black to move
White has just played 13.♗e4?. Find the move that punishes it.
Exercise 7.4Find the move
Black to move
White has just played 9.♕xg5?. Find the move that punishes it.
Exercise 7.5Find the move
White to move
Black has just played 13...♗e7?. Find the move that punishes it.
Exercise 7.6Find the move
White to move
Black has just played 7...♕xd4?. Find the move that punishes it.
Exercise 7.7Find the move
Black to move
White has just played 11.♘b1?. Find the move that punishes it.
Exercise 7.8Find the move
Black to move
White has just played 14.axb4?. Find the move that punishes it.
Exercise 7.9Find the move
Black to move
White has just played 13.♘d2?. Find the move that punishes it.
Exercise 7.10Find the move
White to move
Black has just played 10...♕xe4?. Find the move that punishes it.
Exercise 7.11Find the move
White to move
Black has just played 11...♘cxe5?. Find the move that punishes it.
Exercise 7.12Find the move
Black to move
White has just played 5.♘xe5?. Find the move that punishes it.
Exercise 7.13Find the move
Black to move
White has just played 6.♗d3?. Find the move that punishes it.
Exercise 7.14Find the move
White to move
Black has just played 7...♕xe5?. Find the move that punishes it.
Exercise 7.15Find the move
Black to move
White has just played 14.♕d1?. Find the move that punishes it.