A deflection immortal

Once again, we are cribbing from Yakov Neistadt's Improve Your Chess Tactics (New in Chess, 2011).  And once again, our theme is deflection.  An enemy piece is performing an important function: can you make it move so that it's no longer performing that function?

Two hints: I wrote "wow" in the margin of the book, and even Houdini took a second or so to find the winning line. But what would an American do at the Opéra de Paris?

Mackenzie-NN, Manchester 1889

White to play and win

Deflection is an essential skill in the workplace, too

Over the next week or two, we'll be featuring tactical exercises from books for beginners, advanced beginners, and intermediate players..

This morning, our theme from Yakov Neistadt's Improve Your Chess Tactics (New in Chess, 2011) is deflection. An enemy piece is performing an important function: can you make it move so that it's no longer performing that function? Two examples:

Atlas-Witrthensohn, Wohn 1993

White to play and win

I love the next one!

Füster-Balogh, Budapest 1946

Black to play and win