Advanced tactic · 5 of 15
Interference
Put a piece between an enemy piece and the thing it defends, and the defence is cut.
- Learn how it worksThree examples with Capra. You play each one yourself.Three examples with CapraStart the lesson
- Practise on real puzzlesPractise on puzzles80 interference puzzles, from easy to very hard.0 of 80 solvedGo to the puzzlesGo to the puzzles
Three pieces that step in
A defender that guards from far away needs an open line. Put a piece on that line and the guard is gone.
A rook steps in
The rook blocks the back rank, and the black rook no longer guards h8.
A bishop steps in
The bishop cuts the queen off from d8 and attacks her as well.
A pawn steps in
The pawn cuts the queen off from her knight and attacks her as well.
Interferences in numbers
Counted from the 350 interferences in our puzzle library, all taken from real games- 1 in 800
of our puzzles has an interference in it.
- 41%
of them win a rook. No other prize is as common.
- 51%
of them come in the endgame.
Which piece makes the first move
- Queen35%
- Rook31%
- Bishop14%
- Pawn11%
- Knight9%
What it wins
- Rook41%
- Queen11%
- Bishop11%
- Knight10%
- Checkmate6%
Good to know
Interferences: common questions
What is interference in chess?
Interference is putting a piece on the line between an enemy piece and the thing it defends. The defender is still on the board, but it can no longer reach what it was guarding.
What is the difference between interference and deflection?
Deflection makes the defender move away. Interference leaves the defender where it is and blocks its line with one of your own pieces.
What if the blocking piece is captured?
It often can be, because it lands on a square the defender attacks. So protect the blocking piece, or make sure that taking it costs your opponent more than the piece was worth.
How do I find an interference?
Look for a rook, bishop or queen that defends something from a distance. Then look for a square on the line between them where your piece arrives with a threat, such as a check or an attack on the queen.