Removing the defender

Capture, chase or lure away the piece that guards something, then take what it guarded.

List what each enemy piece defends. A piece with an important job is a target: remove it, or give it a second job it cannot do at the same time.

Three related ideas have their own names. Capturing the defender takes it off the board. Deflection lures it away, often with a capture or a check it must answer. Undermining attacks the pawn that does the defending, often with a pawn of your own.