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TacticsPlay as white

Deflection and Decoy

Drag a defender away from its job — or lure a piece onto the square you need.

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Introduction

Most of the pieces in a position are busy. One guards a mating square, another holds a rook. A deflection makes a defender leave its post; a decoy lures a piece onto a square where it walks into a tactic. Both are the same trick: give your opponent something they cannot refuse.

Lesson Content

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White's king on c5 attacks the rook on b4, but the black king on b3 defends it. So the rook is safe — as long as the black king stays where it is. Move that king off b3 and the rook is a free rook.

Deflection
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1. ..Re3+

Check on the third rank. The black king must step away from b3, and the moment it does, it no longer defends the rook — Kxb4 follows.

Deflection
Alternative Moves
Rxg6 — Taking the pawn is the greedy choice. Black gets 1...a3 and the passed pawn costs White the rook — the position is only equal.
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2. Bd7+

The same idea with a bishop. The black rook on a4 is defended only by the king on b5, so White checks that king from d7; the king has to move, the rook on a4 is left undefended, and Rxa4 simply wins it.

Deflection
Alternative Moves
Re7 — A normal-looking rook move, but Black replies 1...Kb6 and consolidates; the rook on a4 is defended for good.
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A decoy works the other way: instead of dragging a defender away, it invites a piece onto a bad square. Look at g6 — if the black king ever stood on h6, the white queen landing on g6 would be supported by the pawn on h5 — and a defended queen right next to the king, with nothing able to take her, is checkmate.

DecoyMating Net
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3. Rxh6+

The rook gives itself up on h6 to pull the king onto that square. Black is a whole rook up after 1. ..Kxh6 — and completely lost.

DecoySacrifice
Alternative Moves
Kh4 — Retreating the king gives up a forced mate — 1.Rxh6+ Kxh6 2.Qg6 is checkmate — and Black's queen and extra pawns take over instead.
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3. ..Qg6#

Checkmate. The queen is defended by the pawn on h5, and the black king has no square left.

DecoyMating Net
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White's queen on d8 already eyes h8. Which move lures the black king onto the square that makes that matter?

DecoyMating Net
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What is the difference between a deflection and a decoy?

DeflectionDecoy

Key Takeaways

  • Find the defender first, then find the move that forces it to move.
  • A decoy invites a piece onto exactly the square your tactic needs.
  • Both tactics work by being unrefusable — a check, or a capture too big to ignore.

Now play it through

Step through every move on a real board, try the wrong ones, and ask Knighty why they fail.

Practice Interactively

Related Lessons

Trapped Pieces

Mating Patterns

Double Bishop Mate

Summary

Ask what each enemy piece is doing. When one of them is holding something together, look for a check or a capture that forces it to move — and when a mating square is one step away, look for the sacrifice that drags the king onto it.

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Next in this course

Clearance and Interference

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