apex64 Coach
Removing the Defender
What it is
Removing the defender (or removing the guard) wins material or delivers mate by capturing, exchanging or chasing away the piece that defends a critical target — once the guard is gone, the target is yours.
When to use it
Use it when a valuable piece or a mating square is held up by exactly one defender that you can capture or drive off.
How to use it
Find what you want to win, identify its sole defender, and eliminate that defender — often with a capture or a threat it must answer. Then take the now-undefended target.
Worked examples
Watch the coach play the tactic from real master games.