02 November 2011

Lesson of the Week

Deflection and Decoy

A short game offers illustration of some basic tactics.

Stripes -- Yaelg
SocialChess Internet, 2011

1.d4 c5 2.d5 e6 3.c4 Qa5+ 4.Bd2 Qa6 5.e4 exd5 6.cxd5 c4 7.Qc2 Bb4 8.Bxc4 Bxd2+ 9.Nxd2 b5

White to move

White's move was an effort to deflect the Black queen from defense of Black's vulnerable back-rank. Deflection is a special case of removing the guard that draws an enemy piece away from a key square.

10.Bxb5 Qxb5 

10...Qb7 is better. The deflection is not forced.

11.Qxc8+ Ke7 12.Ngf3 Qxb2 
White to move

13.d6+ Kxd6 

White's pawn sacrifice decoys the king onto a square where it is vulnerable to a fork that wins the queen. Decoy draws an enemy piece onto a vulnerable square.

13...Ke6 only delays the coming fork. 14.Qe8+ Kf6 15.Qd8+ Ke6 16.Ng5+ Ke5 17.Nc4+

14.Nc4+ Ke7 15.Nxb2 g6 16.0–0 f5 17.exf5 gxf5 18.Rfe1+ Kf7 19.Qe8+ Kg7 20.Rad1 h5 21.Rd6 Rh6 

White to move

White has a choice of two ways to force checkmate in five moves.

22.Re7+

The other possibility is 22.Rxh6 Kxh6 23.Ne5 Ne7 24.Qh8+ Kg5 25.h4+ Kxh4 26.Qf6#

22...Nxe7 23.Qxe7+ Kg8 24.Rxh6 Nc6 25.Rg6+ Kh8 26.Qg7# 1–0

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