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Tactics

Decoy

Decoy (luring)

Luring an enemy piece — often the king — onto a square where it can be hit by a follow-up tactic.

Where deflection drags a piece away from a duty, a decoy drags a piece toward a bad square. You sacrifice something to tempt the king or a piece onto a square, then win with a fork, check or capture that only works because of where the piece now stands.

The classic case is a queen sacrifice that pulls the king onto a square where a knight check forks the king and queen.

Why it matters

Decoys are how many spectacular sacrifices work: the sacrifice isn't a gamble, it's an invitation to a square the piece will regret visiting.

The mistake everyone makes

Grabbing a 'free' piece with your king or queen without asking why it was offered — you may be walking onto the decoy square.

Related terms

Deflection
Forcing an enemy piece away from an important duty so something it was guarding falls.
Fork
One piece attacking two or more enemy pieces at the same time.
Sacrifice
Giving up material on purpose for a larger gain — mate, more material, or a winning attack.
Tactic
A short, forcing sequence of moves that wins material or delivers mate.

See Decoy in your own games

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