Deflection Chess Puzzles — Rated 1800

10 deflections rated between 1800 and 1999, averaging 1890. Each position below is from a real game, with the solution given underneath — so you can check yourself immediately rather than guessing whether you were right.

Deflection forces a defending piece away from what it is guarding. The move is usually a capture or check the opponent cannot decline, and the point is the square the defender leaves behind rather than the material involved.

These are pitched at 1800-rated players. Puzzle ratings work like player ratings: a puzzle rated 1800 is one that players around 1800 solve about half the time, so if you are getting most of these you should move up a band.

Solving from a page is good for pattern recognition but not for tracking progress. The rated puzzle trainer serves puzzles matched to your own rating and adjusts as you solve, and the Mistake Trainer builds puzzles from positions you actually got wrong in your own games.

Deflection puzzles rated 1800

  1. Deflection puzzle 1, rated 1912a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 1 · rated 1912 · White to play after Bxd4
    Show solution

    Qxf7+ Rxf7 Rxc8+ Qd8 Rxd8+ Rf8 Rfxf8#

  2. Deflection puzzle 2, rated 1845a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 2 · rated 1845 · White to play after Qxg3+
    Show solution

    Qxg3 fxg3 Bxh7+ Kxh7 Rxf8

  3. Deflection puzzle 3, rated 1874h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 3 · rated 1874 · Black to play after Qd1
    Show solution

    Rg6+ Kf1 Qc4+ Qe2 Rg1+ Kxg1 Qxe2

  4. Deflection puzzle 4, rated 1888h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 4 · rated 1888 · Black to play after Bf3
    Show solution

    Qh4+ Ke2 Qf2+ Kd3 Qxf3

  5. Deflection puzzle 5, rated 1919a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 5 · rated 1919 · White to play after Rh8
    Show solution

    Nxe6+ fxe6 Qxg6+ Kf8 Rxh8#

  6. Deflection puzzle 6, rated 1929h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 6 · rated 1929 · Black to play after a4
    Show solution

    c4 bxc4 bxa4

  7. Deflection puzzle 7, rated 1891a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 7 · rated 1891 · White to play after Kd6
    Show solution

    f6 gxf6 gxh6

  8. Deflection puzzle 8, rated 1831h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 8 · rated 1831 · Black to play after Nf5
    Show solution

    Nb3+ Kb1 Nxd2+ Rxd2 Qxh1+

  9. Deflection puzzle 9, rated 1893h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 9 · rated 1893 · Black to play after Rxf2
    Show solution

    Rxg1+ Kxg1 Re1+ Rf1 Bd4+ Kh1 Rxf1#

  10. Deflection puzzle 10, rated 1917a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 10 · rated 1917 · White to play after Kc8
    Show solution

    Ra2 Kd8 Ra8+ Ke7 Qxc7+

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Frequently asked questions

What is a deflection in chess?

Deflection forces a defending piece away from what it is guarding. The move is usually a capture or check the opponent cannot decline, and the point is the square the defender leaves behind rather than the material involved.

What does a puzzle rating of 1800 mean?

Puzzle ratings work like player ratings. A puzzle rated 1800 is one that players rated around 1800 solve roughly half the time. The puzzles on this page average 1890, so they suit 1800-rated players.

Are these deflection puzzles free?

Yes. Every puzzle on this page, including its solution, is free to view with no account. The rated trainer that tracks your progress and serves puzzles matched to your rating is part of Chess Ramp Premium.