Decoy (chess)

In chess, a decoy is a tactic that lures an enemy man off its square and away from its defensive role.[1] Typically this means away from a square on which it defends another piece or threat. The tactic is also called a deflection. Usually the piece is decoyed to a particular square via the sacrifice of a piece on that square. A piece so sacrificed is called a decoy. When the piece decoyed or deflected is the king, the tactic is known as attraction. In general in the middlegame, the sacrifice of a decoy piece is called a diversionary sacrifice.[2]

Examples

Honfi vs. Barczay, 1977
abcdefgh
8
c8 black rook
e8 black rook
g8 black king
b7 black pawn
g7 black bishop
h7 black pawn
a6 black pawn
d6 black pawn
f6 black queen
g6 black pawn
b5 black knight
d5 white pawn
c4 white pawn
e4 white bishop
h4 white pawn
b3 white knight
d3 white queen
a2 white pawn
b2 white pawn
e2 white rook
b1 white king
h1 white rook
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Black to move

The game Honfi–Barczay, Kecskemet 1977, with Black to play, illustrates two separate decoys. First, the white queen is set up on c4 for a knight fork:

1... Rxc4! 2. Qxc4

Next, the fork is executed by removing the sole defender of the a3-square:

2... Qxb2!+ 3. Rxb2 Na3+ 4. Kc1

Finally, a zwischenzug decoys (attracts) the king to b2:

4... Bxb2+

After either 5.Kxb2 Nxc4+ 6.Kc3 Rxe4, or 5.Kd1 Nxc4, Black is two pawns ahead and should win comfortably.

abcdefgh
8
g8 black king
g7 black pawn
h7 black pawn
b6 black queen
a5 black pawn
c5 white knight
d4 white pawn
g2 white pawn
h2 white pawn
f1 white rook
g1 white king
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Example of attraction

In this position, after the moves 1.Rf8+ Kxf8 (forced) 2.Nd7+ Ke7 3.Nxb6, White wins the queen and the game. A similar, but more complex position is described by Huczek.[3]

Vidmar vs. Euwe, 1929
abcdefgh
8
g8 black king
f7 black pawn
g7 black bishop
b6 black pawn
d6 white knight
h6 black pawn
a5 black pawn
g5 black pawn
f4 black queen
a3 white queen
h3 white pawn
a2 white pawn
c2 black rook
d1 white rook
e1 white rook
h1 white king
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Position after 33...Qf4

In the diagrammed position from Vidmar–Euwe, Carlsbad 1929, Black had just played 33...Qf4, threatening mate on h2. White now uncorks the elegant combination 34.Re8+ Bf8 (forced) 35.Rxf8+ (attraction) Kxf8 (forced) 36.Nf5+ (discovered check) Kg8 (36...Ke8 37.Qe7#) 37.Qf8+ (attraction) 1–0 Black resigns. (If 37...Kxf8 then 38.Rd8#. If 37...Kh7 then 38.Qg7#.) The combination after 33...Qf4 features two separate examples of the attraction motif.[4]

Dementiev vs. Dzindzichashvili, 1972
abcdefgh
8
g8 black king
g7 black pawn
c6 black queen
e6 black pawn
g6 white pawn
e5 white pawn
f5 black knight
h5 white queen
f3 white rook
g3 white bishop
h2 white king
c1 black rook
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Position after 61.g6

This example shows a position from the game Dementiev–Dzindzichashvili, URS 1972. White had just played 61.g6 (with the threat 62.Qh7+ Kf8 63.Rxf5+). However, Black continued with the crushing 61...Rh1+ (attraction) 62. Kxh1 (best) Nxg3+ (the white rook is pinned) 63.Kh2 Nxh5 and White has dropped his queen to the knight fork. In the game, White resigned after 61...Rh1+.[5]

Petrosian vs. Pachman, 1961
abcdefgh
8
a8 black rook
c8 black bishop
d8 black rook
b7 black pawn
e7 black knight
f7 black pawn
g7 black king
h7 black pawn
d6 white bishop
e6 black pawn
f6 black bishop
g6 black pawn
a5 black pawn
b5 black queen
c5 black pawn
c4 white knight
e4 white rook
b3 white pawn
d3 white pawn
f3 white queen
g3 white pawn
b2 white pawn
c2 white pawn
f2 white pawn
g2 white bishop
h2 white pawn
a1 white rook
g1 white king
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Position after 18...Rd8

Perhaps the most celebrated game featuring a decoy theme is PetrosianPachman, Bled 1961,[6] which also involved a queen sacrifice. Pachman resigned after 19.Qxf6+ (attraction) Kxf6 20.Be5+ Kg5 21.Bg7! setting a mating net.

Menchik vs. Graf, 1937
abcdefgh
8
a8 black rook
f8 black rook
g8 black king
a7 black pawn
b7 black bishop
c7 black queen
e7 black bishop
f7 black pawn
b6 black pawn
e6 black pawn
g6 black pawn
g5 white knight
h5 black pawn
c4 white pawn
g4 black knight
c3 white bishop
h3 white queen
a2 white pawn
b2 white pawn
c2 white bishop
f2 white pawn
g2 white pawn
h2 white pawn
d1 white rook
f1 white rook
g1 white king
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Position after 20...Ng4

In the game MenchikGraf, Semmering 1937,[7] Graf resigned after 21.Rd7, deflecting Black's queen. (If 21...Qxd7, then 22.Qxh5 with mate to follow; 21.Qxh5 immediately wins only a pawn after 21...Qxh2+.)[2]

Ivkov vs. Taimanov, 1956
abcdefgh
8
f6 black pawn
h6 white pawn
d5 black king
f5 white knight
g5 black knight
e4 black pawn
g4 white pawn
a2 white pawn
e2 white king
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Final position after 49.h6

Often a wing pawn serves as a decoy in endgames.[8] In the game IvkovTaimanov, Belgrade 1956,[9][10] Black resigned in the position shown because White has an easy win by using his passed a2-pawn as a decoy to lure Black's king away from the center and to the queenside, allowing easy promotion of the h6-pawn.

See also

References

  1. Hooper & Whyld (1996), pp. 102–03. decoy.
  2. Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 110. diversionary sacrifice.
  3. George Huczek (2017). A to Z Chess Tactics. Batsford. pp. 1–349. ISBN 978-1-8499-4446-5.
  4. "Master Games". Chess.com. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  5. "Master Games". Chess.com. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  6. "Petrosian vs. Pachman, Bled 1961". Chessgames.com.
  7. "Vera Menchik vs. Sonja Graf-Stevenson, Semmering 1937". Chessgames.com.
  8. Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 103.
  9. Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 184. Ivkov.
  10. "Ivkov vs. Taimanov, Yugoslavia–USSR match 1956". Chessgames.com.

Bibliography

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