A decoy attracts an enemy piece to a square where another tactic becomes possible.
Three ideas to understand
- The destination matters: it may be a mating square, fork square or overloaded line.
- Checks and captures make decoys difficult to refuse.
- Confirm the tactical idea with a complete legality and blunder check before playing it.
Work through a concrete example
A queen sacrifice on h7 can pull the king onto h7, where a knight check opens the mating net.
A reliable thinking process
Start with checks, captures and direct threats, but calculate the opponent's most forcing reply at every step. Track which piece becomes loose after each move and reconstruct the final position before deciding the combination works. A tactical motif is a clue for where to calculate, not proof that a sacrifice is sound.
Common mistake
Playing the attractive sacrifice before confirming every king escape turns a combination into hope chess.
Practice drill
Mark the desired destination first, then calculate how to force the target onto it.
Check your understanding
Can the opponent refuse the idea, answer with check, or insert a stronger capture? State the material and king-safety result at the end of the main line, not immediately after the attractive first move.
Take it into your next game
Save one representative position and review it briefly before your next playing session. During the game, do not search for an identical diagram; watch for the same relationship between pieces, squares and pawn structure. Mark the moment when the idea first became relevant, even if you chose another plan. After the game, compare your decision with the lesson and write one adjustment for the next session. This transfer step is more valuable than rereading the article without making a decision.
Finally, explain the position in one sentence without using the lesson title. If the explanation names the relevant squares, pieces and consequence, you understand the idea rather than only recognizing its label. Continue with the related lesson and compare the decision process.