Roadmap > Tactics > Targets > Important Defenders
Example of Targeting an Important Defender
White to move. 1. Rd8! (attacking the important defender) Qxd8 2. Qxb7#
In the example, the black queen is an important defender of the rook on b7; otherwise, White could play Qxb7#. Because the queen is protecting something important, it becomes a target itself.
You can exploit a defender by attacking it directly, capturing it, or overloading it by forcing it to protect more than it can handle.