Decoy

It's not a duck (chess), it's just a decoy. But what exactly is a decoy in chess, and how can you use a decoy in your own games? Read on to find out! 

• What Is A Decoy In Chess?
• What's The Difference Between A Decoy And A Deflection?
• How To Take Advantage Of A Decoy
• Test Your Skills
• Conclusion

What Is A Decoy In Chess?

In chess, a decoy (which is very closely related to something known as deflection) is a tactic where one side sacrifices material for the purpose of distracting an opponent's forces to obtain an even greater material gain—or even checkmate! The decoy piece is sacrificed in a way that pulls the opponent's capturing piece to a vulnerable square or to a square that opens up the position in other ways.

Here is an example:

What's The Difference Between A Decoy And A Deflection?

In both a decoy and a deflection, the attacking side uses one of its pieces to distract an enemy piece. Deflection, as the name suggests, deflects the enemy piece from a task. A decoy, on the other hand, is often thought of us bringing a piece to a vulnerable square.

However, if you don't understand the distinction, don't worry too much. They are very similar, and when doing puzzles on Chess.com, decoy and deflection tactics are even grouped together in the same exercises.

How To Take Advantage Of A Decoy

Decoys are somewhat advanced tactics because the decoy usually doesn't win the game by itself—it's the next move that makes the difference. For example, if you see an immediate fork, you play it. But if you see you could make a fork (or skewer two pieces, as in the example above, give checkmate, etc.) if only one of your opponent's pieces were on a different square, then it's time to look for a decoy!

Here's a very famous example of a decoy sacrifice leading to a fork from the 1966 World Championship between GMs Tigran Petrosian and Boris Spassky. (In fact, if you've read our chess term on the fork, you've seen this position before!)

Test Your Skills

Now that you have seen a couple of decoy tactics in action, try solving a couple yourself!

Test #1: In this position, Black has just played 1...Re8, attacking White's queen. Right now, Black's king on f8 defends the rook. Can you find White's decoy in the position and deflect the king with it?

Test #2: Here's a more advanced decoy tactic. How can Black deliver a back-rank checkmate?

Conclusion

Now you know what a decoy is and how to take advantage of decoy tactics in your own games. To continue practicing decoy tactics, head over to our Themed Puzzles and select the "Decoy / Deflection" theme!