Chess Blog

9. Deflection and Decoy

Deflection is a chess tactic used as part of a combination. It forces an important defensive piece of the opponent to move from its current position, thereby creating weaknesses which are exploited to create a mating attack or to gain material advantage. It is quite common to see a sacrifice being used to force the opponent’s hand.

Decoy is a chess tactic of similar nature where an important piece, usually the King or Queen of the opponent, is forced to move to some specific position where it can be subjected to a mating or capturing attack. This tactic is also commonly associated with a sacrifice.

There is only a subtle difference between these two tactics. In Deflection, you force the opponent’s piece to vacate its present position whereas in Decoy, you force it to move to your desired position.

I have seen the word ‘entice’ or ‘ensnare’ being used to describe decoy, but I would refrain from using such description. Such connotation implies a trap which works only if the opponent falls for it. But a real decoy move is a forcing tactic and the opponent can avoid it, if at all possible, only at the risk of encountering an equal or greater danger.

Let us first look at some examples of deflection.

The following position occurred after 19 moves and White produced a move that tries to deflect either of the two pieces attacked – Rook at a7 to vacate the 7th rank or Queen to vacate the a5-d8 diagonal.

The following position is taken from a Kasparov-Kramnik game played at Novgorod in 1994. Though White winds up the game with a deflection tactic at move 36, we start with the position after 25 moves to show how White employed other tactics like check, pin, fork etc. with some sacrifices thrown in to induce and force Black to a situation for the final coup de grace.

In the next two diagrams, you can see how decoy moves are used. In the first one, a queen sacrifice is used to draw out the Black King from out of its castle to expose it to mating attack by White’s other pieces. The position occurs after 17 moves in a game between Petrosian and Pachman in 1961.

In the following game, a rook sacrifice by Black forces the White King to come out of its Q-side castle and then a series of checks drives it to the Kingside where Black is ready with his mating attack. The diagram shows the position after 15 moves.

7. Attacking along the back rank or the seventh rank

Though possibility of such attacking tactics may arise in middle game also, these opportuities are more frequently possible during the end of middle game when many of the pieces and pawns have been taken off the board. In such situations, the heavy pieces (Queen and Rooks) have more freedom of movement and can combine to deliver winning attack along the seventh and eighth ranks (opponent’s base rank and second rank).

A situation which frequently occurs and is fraught with danger when the King stands at its Knight’s square with three pawns (BP, NP and RP) in front of it. The following diagram shows such a position for Black.

This defensive formation is strong in middle games in the sense that attacks from various directions can be met by advancing one of these pawns. But in the end game with opponent’s Rook or Queen present, the King risks mate by a Rook or Queen check along the base rank. In the position shown above, White could play Rc7 to win Black’s KBP or QNP. If Black tried to capture White’e Bishop with his Rook, Rc8+ leads to mate!

Such mating attacks are often initiated through some sacrifices to get opponent’s defensive pieces away for getting the way clear for a base rank check. From a defensive point of view, it may be prudent to keep an escape hole for the King by advancing one of these pawns, usually the NP or RP. to avoid such bolts from the blue!

But one has to think carefully before creating an escape hole as suggested above. In the following position, had the NP been advanced, White would be safe but the hole at h2 did not serve its purpose.

Black played 1… Bd6 and White had to resign. If White played 2. Qxc6, Black can mate by 2… Rxe1# whereas 2. Qxe8 makes him lose his Queen.

In the following situation, White tried to gain control of the seventh rank by his Queen move. This move backfired because of his failure to see the weakness in his King’s position.

It went as follows:

White gave up the unequal fight after another 7 moves.

The King standing in the corner (Rook’s square) is even more susceptible as only the NP and RP in front can hem it in. Even a player of the caliber of Karpov failed to see the vulnerability of his King’s position and the move by Black to exploit the situation.

Position after 36 moves

Opportunity for attack along the seventh rank (opponent’s second rank) does not occur frequently as the opponent will try to spoil your attempts immediately if he can realize what you are up to. Such attack involves positioning two or more heavy pieces on the seventh rank and you will appreciate that such a line up can act as a battering ram against your opponent’s castle to expose the King to a mating attack.

In the position shown below, White makes a sacrifice as a prelude to penetrate Black’s second rank by his Rooks and the power of two Rooks on the seventh rank is demonstrated amply thereafter. No comments are felt necessary as these recently concluded World Championship games have been analyzed by experts to the maximum extent possible!

Position after 23 moves in the first game: