Removing the Defender in Chess
What is removing the defender
Removing the defender is a tactic where you capture the piece or pawn that protects another enemy piece. As soon as the defender leaves the board, the protected piece is left "naked" and can be captured.
Often the defender is worth less than the piece it protects: a pawn protects a knight, a knight protects a rook, a rook protects the queen. By removing the cheaper defender, you win a more valuable piece.
When removing the defender works
For this tactic to work, three conditions must be met:
- The attacked enemy piece has only one defender (or is left without support once the defender is captured).
- You have a piece or pawn that can safely capture the defender, without losing material or with a favorable trade.
- After the defender is removed, the opponent doesn't have the tempo to both save the main piece and win the material back.
The tactic is especially strong when the protected piece is pinned or has no squares to retreat to: then, once the defender is captured, it is doomed.
Why it works
In chess a piece is considered "safe" if it is either not attacked or protected at least as many times as it is attacked. Removing the defender breaks this balance: there are now more attackers than defenders.
How to find a way to remove the defender
- Find an enemy piece that you are already attacking, but that is still protected.
- Figure out exactly what protects it: a pawn, a minor piece, a rook or the queen.
- See whether you can remove the defender by capturing it, trading it off or sacrificing something of lesser value.
- Calculate the replies: can the opponent bring in a new defender or move the piece to safety in time?
Tips to spot the idea faster
For kids
Imagine the opponent's piece has a bodyguard. While the bodyguard is nearby, you can't touch the piece: if you take it, the bodyguard takes back right away. But if you remove the bodyguard from the board, the piece is left alone, and you can calmly take it.
So always look at who protects whom, and think about how to remove the defender.
For adults
Count the number of attackers and defenders on every important square. If they are equal, look for a way to "switch off" one defender: capture it, trade it, pin it or deflect it.
Removing the defender is often combined with a pin, a double attack and mating ideas, so watch out for such combinations.
Examples
Try it yourself: make a move on the board. If you get stuck, press "Show solution".
1. The bishop removes the knight that defends the rook
Idea: the black rook on e8 is attacked by the white rook on e1 and protected by only one piece, the knight on c7.
After Bxc7 the white bishop removes the defender. If Rxe1+, White answers Nxe1 (the knight on c2 covers the first rank) and ends up a whole knight ahead.
Solution: The defender is removed: after Rxe1+ Nxe1 White has won a knight.
2. The bishop takes the knight, the king's main defender
Idea: the white queen on h6 is aiming at the g7 and h7 squares. The knight on f6 is the black king's main defender: it protects h7 and blocks the long diagonal from the bishop on b2.
After Bxf6+ the defender is gone. The king has to go to g8, and then comes Qg7#: the queen on g7 is supported by the bishop on f6.
Solution: Qg7# - checkmate: the queen on g7 is protected by the bishop on f6, and the knight that blocked the diagonal and guarded h7 is gone.
3. A pawn removes the knight that defends the bishop
Idea: the black bishop on d8 is attacked by the white knight on c6, and it is protected only by the knight on b7. The bishop itself can neither take the knight on c6 nor move away: it is locked in by its own pawns on c7 and e7.
After axb7 the pawn removes the defender. The bishop is left "naked", and on the next move White plays Nxd8; on top of that, the white pawn on b7 threatens to promote.
Solution: axb7 - the defender is removed: the bishop on d8 is attacked by the knight and has nowhere to go, so next comes Nxd8. And the pawn on b7 is also threatening to promote.