DECOY AND DESTROY


How often have you said to yourself "If only?" "If only that piece wasn't there. Then I could mate him." "If only his Queen was over there. Then I could FORK his King and Queen." There's no place for wishful thinking in chess, but sometimes, if you work hard enough at the position, you can make your dreams come true.


We have two ideas, for which we use words that rhyme: DECOY and DESTROY.


DESTROY is easier to understand: if you don't like an enemy piece because it stops you doing something perhaps you can just capture it. DESTROY.


If you force a piece to go somewhere it doesn't want to do, by attacking it or by forcing it to do something else, then you DECOY it. (Some books use DECOY when the square it goes TO is important and DIVERSION when the square it goes FROM is important.)


Look at the diagram on your right. White would like to play Qh4xh7# (THE KISS OF DEATH). What's preventing him? The Black Knight on f6. How do we get rid of the Knight?


Very simple. We just take it off: Bb2xf6 (DESTROY!), and, if he takes back, either with the Queen or the Pawn, then Qh4xh7#.


We'll change the position slightly for our next example. What would you play now? Again it's White's move.


No problem. Rf1xf6 (DESTROY!), which threatens mate on h7 and also the Queen on c6. White's going to come out at least a Queen ahead.


Of course a Rook is worth more than a Knight, but that doesn't matter. If you learn to look ahead these positions are easy to solve.


Move a few pieces around again and you reach the position on your right. How should White continue here?


Again we'd like to evict the Knight from f6 and mate on h7. We can't capture the Knight but we can THREATEN it. The move is e4-e5. If the Knight moves then it's the KISS OF DEATH again. But do you see what happens if Black plays h7-h6, preventing mate and THREATENING the White Knight?


See if you can look ahead. Try to visualise the position after each move. White can take the Knight: e5xf6. Now Black's Queen is THREATENED but he can take the White Knight: h6xg5. White takes the Black Queen: f6xe7 and Black takes the White Queen: g5xh4. Now White has e7xf8=Q+ and Black has no choice: Kg8xf8. This is where we stop calculating. Can you see without playing the moves what pieces each player has left? White has Rook and three Pawns, Black just has four Pawns.


But there's another variation to calculate as well. Again, White plays e4-e5 and Black plays h7-h6. White takes the Knight: e5xf6 and this time Black takes the Pawn: Qe7xf6. Can you visualise this position without moving the pieces. What is Black threatening? Yes, either h6xg5 or Qf6xg5. Where should White move his Knight? Do you see that the Knight is PINNED. If White moves his Knight, Black will take the Queen. Can White move his Knight to a square where it DEFENDS the Queen? Yes, he can move it to f3. Then he remains a Knight for a Pawn ahead.


If you can follow these variations without moving the pieces you're well on the way to becoming a real chess player. You really do have to learn to do this sort of thing all the time you're playing a game.


Anyway, back to DECOY and DESTROY and our next example.


We've added a few more pieces this time. Your suggestions, please, for White.


Again, White says "If only that Knight on f6 wasn't there. But I can't take it and I can't attack it? What can I do?" But think CCT and you'll notice a capture on d7: Bc6xd7 (DECOY!). Now if Black takes back we all know what happens: Qh4xh7#. And if he doesn't take back he's just lost a Knight for nothing.


In this sort of position we say that the Black Knight on f6 is OVERWORKED. It's an OVERWORKED PIECE. Maybe you're clever and can do two things at the same time, but chess pieces, by and large, can't. The Black Knight has to defend both d7 and h7 at the same time. By forcing him to do one job we stop him doing the other one. Learn to look at the whole board and understand the relationship between all the pieces.


Move the pieces around once more and we reach our next diagram. What would you play now?


This time the answer is Nc3-d5 (DECOY!). This is a KNIGHT FORK, THREATENING the Queen on e7 and the Knight on f6. If Black tries Nf6xd5 what does White do? Yes: Qh4xh7#. And if he moves his Queen, say to d8, then what? Now we go Nd5xf6+ (DESTROY!). It's CHECK so Black doesn't have time to play h7-h6. Whether Black takes the Knight with his Queen, or with his Pawn, or moves his King to h8 our next move's the same. Qh4xh7#.


Now we'll set up the pieces and have a look at a short game.


1. e2-e4 d7-d5


This is called the CENTRE COUNTER or SCANDINAVIAN DEFENCE. Black has to be very careful what he does with his Queen.


2. e4xd5 Qd8xd5

3. d2-d4


White usually plays Nb1-c3 here to gain TIME by attacking the Black Queen.


3... Nb8-c6

4. Ng1-f3 Bc8-g4

5. Bf1-e2


Now Black sees his chance. He can DESTROY the defender and win the d-pawn. Or can he?


5... Bg4xf3

6. Be2xf3 (Diagram)


Imagine you're Black here. Is it a good idea to take the pawn on d4? Start calculating.


Obviously not Nc6xd4 because of Bf3xd5. But what about Qd5xd4? Did you start analysing Qd1xd4 Nc6xd4, Bf3xb7 and wonder whether Black should play Ra8-b8 or Nd4xc2+? If so you were wasting your time? Go back to the position after Qd5xd4 and do a CCT. Seen it yet? White just plays Bf3xc6+ (DESTROY!) followed by Qd1xd4, with an extra Queen!


That's why it's CCT - CHECKS, CAPTURES, THREATS in that order! Checks are the most forcing moves so you must look at them first.


Now, another quick game featuring an OVERWORKED PIECE and an opening you should definitely NEVER play!


1. e2-e4 e7-e5

2. Ng1-f3 f7-f6? (Diagram)


This is called DAMIANO'S DEFENCE, for what it's worth.


Think DCK. Does it help your development? Far from it: it sticks a Pawn where the Knight belongs. Does it help your centre control? A little bit, but not as much as Nb8-c6 or Ng8-f6. Does it help your King safety? Again, far from it. We know how dangerous it can be to move Freddie in the opening. This move weakens the a2-g8 and h5-e8 diagonals. Remember the FATAL DIAGONAL? Anyway, what would you play for White here?


3. Bf1-c4 is logical and strong, but perhaps even better is...


3. Nf3xe5!


It's well worth a Knight here to get in a Queen check on h5. Black should now play Qd8-e7 but instead decides to eat the Knight.


3... f6xe5

4. Qd1-h5+


What happens now if Black plays g7-g6? Qh5-e5+ is a QUEEN FORK, winning the Rook on h8. So the King has to go for a walk.


4... Ke8-e7

5. Qh5xe5+ Ke7-f7

6. Bf1-c4+ d7-d5


Desperately trying to make some room for his pieces.

7. Bc4xd5+ Kf7-g6

8. h2-h4


Harry threatens a nasty check on h5 so Black makes room for his King on h7.


8... h7-h6 (Diagram)


Can you find the OVERWORKED PIECE here and try to DECOY it? White might think "I'd love to play Qe5-f5#, but that pesky Bishop on c8 is stopping me." He might also think "I'd love to play Bd5xb7, but again that pesky Bishop is stopping me." Then he realises the Bishop is OVERWORKED and cannot do both jobs at once, so he plays...


9. Bd5xb7 (DECOY!)


when the best Black can do is...


9... Bf8-d6

10. Qe5-a5 Bd6-b4

11. Qa5xb4 Bc8xb7

12. Qb4xb7 Nb8-d7


White is four pawns ahead and should win easily.

HELPFUL HINTS


1. Look out for chances to play DECOY and DESTROY moves in your games.


2. You can find them by thinking CCT.


3. You can also find them by thinking "If only...". You'll be surprised how many chances you'll have to use these ideas in your games. You just have to stop and look for them.


4. Oh, and, whatever you do, DON'T play Damiano's Defence.
























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