Roadmap > Tactics > Targets > Important Defenders
When a piece performs an important defensive task, we call it a defender. Because it is protecting something important, the piece itself becomes a target.
Example of an Important Defender
Here, the black queen is an important defender of the rook on b7. This means the queen itself becomes a tactical target.
White to move:
1. Rd8! (attacking the important defender) Qxd8 2. Qxb7#
You can exploit a defender by attacking it directly, capturing it, or overloading it by taking another piece it was meant to protect.