Tactics / Removing the Defender

Removing the Defender

Take out the piece that guards the target, then strike.

Every defence rests on a defender. Capture it, trade it off, or chase it away and whatever it was protecting falls. 'Remove the guard' is one of the most reliable combinations in chess — always ask what's holding your opponent's position together, then take it.

Drawn from 123,000+ rated puzzles taken from real games — rated to your level.

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