Chess tactics
What Is a Decoy in Chess?
A decoy is a tactic that lures an enemy piece, often the king or queen, onto a particular square by offering material it has to take. Once the piece is on that square, a fork, pin, skewer, or mate becomes possible.
Example
1. Rh8+ Kxh8 2. Nf7+ Kh7 3. Nxd8
Rh8+ forces the king to take on h8, the one square where a knight check also hits the queen. After Kxh8, Nf7+ forks the king and the queen on d8, and White wins a queen for a rook.
How a decoy works
Most tactics need the enemy pieces on the right squares. A decoy puts them there by force. You offer a piece on the square you want, the opponent has to capture or lose more, and the capturing piece lands in your tactic.
In the example the knight from g5 could fork a king on h8 and a queen on d8 from f7, but the king is on g8. The rook sacrifice on h8 is check, every other square is covered, so the king has to take and walk into the fork.
Common decoy patterns
Decoying the king into a knight fork is the most frequent. Another is luring the king or queen onto a line where it can be pinned or skewered. In mating attacks, a sacrifice on h7 or f7 often drags the king out to a square where a follow-up check is mate.
How to spot one
When you see a tactic that would work if one enemy piece stood on a different square, ask whether a check or a capture can force it there. Checks are best, because the opponent has the fewest choices. Then count: the decoy only pays if the tactic that follows wins back more than you gave.
Common questions
What is the difference between a decoy and a deflection?
A decoy brings a piece to a square where it can be hit. A deflection takes a piece away from a square or piece it was guarding. Many sacrifices do a bit of both.
Is a decoy always a sacrifice?
Almost always. The usual way to force a piece onto a chosen square is to offer something on that square, so the decoy costs material that the following tactic has to win back.
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