Deflection
Forcing a piece away from a critical defensive duty, so that what it was guarding becomes vulnerable.
Deflection forces an enemy piece off the square or line on which it is performing critical defensive work. The piece is offered an opportunity it cannot refuse — usually a capture or a threat that demands immediate attention — and accepting it leaves the original target undefended.
The motif’s structure is two-step. First identify what the opponent’s piece is defending. Then find a forcing move that compels the piece to abandon that defence. The most common deflection is a queen offer: the queen lands on a square where it must be captured, and the capturing piece is therefore no longer where it was needed.
Deflection and decoy are often discussed together, but they point in opposite directions. Decoy lures a piece to a square where it becomes a target. Deflection drives a piece away from a square where it was a defender. Both work by giving the opponent something they cannot refuse; both rely on calculation that sees two moves ahead.
In tactical puzzles, the deflection sacrifice — usually of a rook or queen — is one of the most aesthetically satisfying solutions. The piece sacrificed looks far more valuable than the piece won; only after the deflection lands does the mate or decisive material gain appear in the open.