decoy (chess)

In chess, a decoy is a tactic that lures an enemy {{chessgloss|man}} off its square and away from its defensive role.Hooper & Whyld (1996), pp. 102–03. decoy. 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.Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 110. diversionary sacrifice.

Examples

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| Honfi vs. Barczay, 1977

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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{{chesspunc|!}}+ 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.

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| Example of attraction

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In this position, after the moves 1.Rf8+ Kxf8 ({{chessgloss|forced move|forced}}) 2.Nd7+ Ke7 3.Nxb6, White wins the queen and the game. A similar, but more complex position is described by Huczek.{{cite book |author = George Huczek |title = A to Z Chess Tactics |publisher = Batsford |isbn = 978-1-8499-4446-5 |pages = 1–349 |year = 2017 }}

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| Vidmar vs. Euwe, 1929

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| Position after 33...Qf4

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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{{chessAN|#}}) 37.Qf8+ (attraction) {{chessAN|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.{{cite web |url=https://www.chess.com/games/search?opening=&openingId=&p1=Milan+Vidmar+Sr&p2=Max+Euwe&mr=&lsty=1&year=1929&lstMoves=1&moves=&fen=&sort= |title = Master Games |website= Chess.com |date= |accessdate=2021-01-25 }}

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| Dementiev vs. Dzindzichashvili, 1972

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| Position after 61.g6

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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.Qh8+ (63.Rxf5+ =) Ke7 64.Bh4+ and mate in one). 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+.{{cite web |author= |url=https://www.chess.com/games/view/204806 |title=Master Games |website=Chess.com |date= |accessdate=2021-02-02 }}

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| Petrosian vs. Pachman, 1961

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| Position after 18...Rd8

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Perhaps the most celebrated game featuring a decoy theme is Petrosian–Pachman, Bled 1961,{{cite web |url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1104948 |title=Petrosian vs. Pachman, Bled 1961 |website=Chessgames.com }} which also involved a queen sacrifice. Pachman resigned after 19.Qxf6+ (attraction) Kxf6 20.Be5+ Kg5 21.Bg7{{chesspunc|!}} setting a {{chessgloss|mating net}}.

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| Menchik vs. Graf, 1937

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| Position after 20...Ng4

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In the game Menchik–Graf, Semmering 1937,{{cite web |url=https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1459083 |title=Vera Menchik vs. Sonja Graf-Stevenson, Semmering 1937 |website=Chessgames.com }} 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+.)

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| Ivkov vs. Taimanov, 1956

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| Final position after 49.h6

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Often a {{chessgloss|wing}} pawn serves as a decoy in endgames.Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 103. In the game Ivkov–Taimanov, Belgrade 1956,Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 184. Ivkov.{{cite web |url=https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1062728 |title=Ivkov vs. Taimanov, Yugoslavia–USSR match 1956 |website=Chessgames.com }} Black resigned in the position shown because White has an easy win by using his passed a2-pawn as a decoy to {{chessgloss|forced move|lure}} Black's king away from the {{chessgloss|center}} and to the {{chessgloss|queenside}}, allowing easy promotion of the h6-pawn.