What is Deflection in chess?
Forcing a defending piece away from the square or piece it protects.
A deflection drags a key defender off its post - often with a check or capture - so you can grab what it was guarding.
Spot deflection in your own games
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Analyze my games →More chess terms
- DecoyLuring an enemy piece (often the king) to a bad square.
- Smothered mateCheckmate by a knight when the king is boxed in by its own pieces.
- Perpetual checkAn endless series of checks that forces a draw by repetition.
- Elo ratingA number that estimates a player's strength from their results.
- BlunderA move that throws away material or the game, usually for nothing.
- ForkOne piece attacking two or more enemy pieces at the same time.