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DECOY:LOOSENESS:Trading down on the loose square
Compiled by notyetagm
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Not to be confused with exchanging on the pinning square.

Four attackers four defenders becomes three attackers three defenders becomes two attackers two defenders becomes one attacker one defender loose piece only another piece defender, then exploit the loose piece defended only by another piece (preferrably a sole king defender).

A loose piece defended only by other pieces is such a tactical weakness that it is worth sacrificing material to create this tactical opportunity on the chess board.


click for larger view

In the above position, taken from Van Wely vs Topalov, 1997 below, the c2-square has two attackers (Black's c3-pawn and c8-rook) and two defenders (White's b1-king and c1-rook). Topalov deftly trades down on the loose c2-square with 33 ... c2+!. Now 34 ♖xc2, making a loose rook defended only by the king, loses immediately to the <removal of the guard> 34 ... ♕e1+, shown below.


click for larger view

33 Bxe4+! Bxe4 g4+ removes the guard or mates
Alekhine vs Tartakower, 1930 
(A90) Dutch, 50 moves, 1-0

f6-sq
S Novikov vs Efimenko, 2010 
(A29) English, Four Knights, Kingside Fianchetto, 34 moves, 1-0

c2-sq
Grischuk vs V Gashimov, 2010 
(A62) Benoni, Fianchetto Variation, 40 moves, 1-0

33 ... c2+! 34 Rxc2? Qe1+ trades down on loose the c2-square
Van Wely vs Topalov, 1997 
(A70) Benoni, Classical with 7.Nf3, 35 moves, 0-1

41 - c1=Q+! 42 Rxc1 Qxd2+ trades down on loose c1-square
Predojevic vs Carlsen, 2006 
(B96) Sicilian, Najdorf, 40 moves, 0-1

57 ... Rf1+! 58 Rxf1 Qe3+ trades down on loose promotion square
Y Visser vs Adams, 2006 
(C90) Ruy Lopez, Closed, 57 moves, 0-1

23 - Nxf2! 24 Rxf2 trades down on f2, 24 - Rg4! removes guard
Kamsky vs F Doettling, 2006 
(B12) Caro-Kann Defense, 39 moves, 0-1

37 Re8+! trades down on loose two attackers, two defenders e8
W Schmidt vs J Augustin, 1976 
(A04) Reti Opening, 38 moves, 1-0

24 Bxf7+! and then 24 ... Rxf7 25 Qd8+ removes the guard
Y Hou vs N Zhukova, 2006 
(C26) Vienna, 32 moves, 1-0

32 Bxd6! and 1-0 since 32 ... Qxd6 33 Rf7+ removes the guard
Capablanca vs Menchik, 1935 
(E85) King's Indian, Samisch, Orthodox Variation, 32 moves, 1-0

60 ... Bd6xg3!
Petrosian vs Larsen, 1966 
(A16) English, 61 moves, 0-1

38 ... Bg7-c3+!
Topalov vs Kramnik, 1995 
(B57) Sicilian, 40 moves, 0-1

15 ... Bg7xc3! is followed by 16 ... Qd8-d4 forking c3, pinning
Tiviakov vs Shirov, 2010 
(B25) Sicilian, Closed, 31 moves, 0-1

Adams vs Areshchenko, 2010 
(B90) Sicilian, Najdorf, 51 moves, 0-1

Karjakin vs Shirov, 2010 
(C69) Ruy Lopez, Exchange, Gligoric Variation, 37 moves, 1-0

Caruana vs Giri, 2012 
(D11) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 41 moves, 1-0

64 Nf4-e6?? e6 is loose, Rh6-h7+ will remove guard, but N fork!
N Grandelius vs H Melkumyan, 2012 
(D37) Queen's Gambit Declined, 66 moves, 0-1

17 games

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