Deflection

Forcing an enemy piece to move away from the square it is supposed to be defending.

The Tour

The Setup

The white queen is eyeing Black's knight on d7, but it is currently safely defended by the black rook on d8.

For experienced players

Deflection is the tactical sibling of the “Decoy.” While a decoy forces an enemy piece ONTO a bad square (often into a fork or pin), deflection forces an enemy piece AWAY from a critical defensive post.