You have looked at your
opponent's pawn structure and
have made a plan to move your
pieces through the holes for a
quick kill as in diagram #1.
However, with all the pieces on the board, you realize that key squares are controlled by enemy pieces preventing you from implementing your plan!
What do you do now? If there
was only a way to lure the Black
Queen away from defending the e7
square. White plays Rxc6!, a decoying sacrifice!
The avenue of attack is clear for the queen
to travel to the e7 square on the 7th rank!
This is very important to understand so I will state it again.
Avenues of attack will open up as a result of a sacrificial decoy!
You must then use these avenues with your remaining pieces.
Black is forced in the reply
Qxc6. Now the White Queen moves
in for the kill. . . Qe7.
It is amazing to behold how the
the Queen, the great defender, has been turned
into a lowly pawn blocking the
king's escape route.
At first glance, it looks like all of
White's pieces are hanging. The
Bishop is attacked by Black's Rook. The
Rook is attacked by Black's Bishop. The
Knight is attacked by a Pawn. Is White
doomed? Ng6+! The Pawn must
take the Knight. Avenues of attack will open up, as a result
of the decoy, on the (h) file.
Having been decoyed from its
defensive duties shielding the King,
the Pawn on g6 can only watch as the White
Rook moves in for the mate. . . Rh4 checkmate.
Our last example is a beautiful
display of sacrifices, dancing Knight
moves, and decoying tactics
introduced to me by the late Harry Lyman
from the Boylston Chess Club in
Boston. If it were Black's move
in diagram #6 it would be all over
since Qh2 is mate. Do you see
the move for White?
1). Qxc7! Kxc7
2). Nb5+ Kb8
3). Rd8+! Rxd8
Decoying the Black Rook from the (e) file so
the Bishop can join in the action on the f4-b8 diagonal.
If the Bishop moved to f4 before this
move Black would stop everything with Re5.
4). Bf4+ Ka8
Now occurs the 5 dancing knight moves by White.
5). Nc7+ Kb8
6). Nxa6+ Ka8
7). Nc7+ Kb8
8). Nd5+ Ka8
9). Nb6+! axb6
and the knight finally makes a decoying sacrifice of itself. An
avenue for the rook will open up as a result on the (a) file!
10). Ra1++
Remember: The decoy is best used when it will open up an avenue
of attack, such as a file, rank or diagonal, for your other pieces
to join in the fight. This is a hallmark of the great players! You
can be one too.
Notice how all of the White army had a part to play. Try to use some pieces for sacrificial decoys, some to set barriers
against the king, and the others to invade on the opened avenues for the checkmate.
Copyright © Manus Patrick Fealy 1994-2002
I truly want you to become a better chess player.