Deflection (chess)

Distraction is called in chess steering an opponent's piece ( rare Bauer) away from a field whereby the deflected stone its original function can no longer fulfill. A steering is done by means of coercion such as chess bid or threat.

The distraction is a commonly occurring tactical motif in chess. Mainly is the motive to find distraction in the middle game. If a party is in the pawn ending a distant passed pawn, so the threat of his conversion to deflect the opponent's king is used from the main arena at the appropriate moment. The own king can then beat the other wing play crucial farmers, while the deflected king comes too late.

Especially effective is the distraction of figures, and prevent direct Matt or Matt combination.

In diagram 1 White has caught the black king already in a mating net. Almost White might end the game immediately with 1 Rb7 - f7, when the black tower would not control the matte field f7 and thus defend his king. The black tower, it should steer either by the defense of the field f7 distract or to the field f7. As a means of coercion is Zugzwang. White hands with a waiting move the Zugpflicht to black. 1 Rb7 - a7 The black king is unable to move. Black is now being taken to the tower. 1 ... Rf8 - f7 2 Ta7xf7 matt 1 ... Rf8 ~ ( in the chess notation, any rook move, distraction) 2 TA7 - f7 matt

The rook endgame in Diagram 2 allows two typical deflection combinations. The farmer stands immediately before its conversion. The black tower in his back is overloaded with the two cover duties for the matte box c1 and the promotion square a8. with 1 Tc4 -c1 Ta1xc1 directs white from the black tower of a8. 2 a7 - A8D Tc1 - c6 3 Da8xc6 Kh1 - g1 4 Qc6 - g2 matt The other distraction result quicker profit. 1 a7 - A8D Ta1xa8 2 Tc4 -c1 matt or 1 ... Kh1 - g1 2 Qa8 - g2 matt

In the following two diagrams 3 and 4 achieved by means of distraction white material gain.

White on train wins by the deflection:

1 Re1 - e8 Kd8xe8 the only possible train to ward off the chess of the tower.

Position by: 1 Re1 - e8 Kd8xe8 White can now take the black queen.

After 2 Dc1xc8 Ke8 - e7 3 Dc8xa6 White is winning.

The key move in the study of Paul Heuäcker is a typical distraction experiment in bishop ending.