Tactics Time Chess Newsletter: Invisible Defender Tactic

Published: Wed, 05/02/12

Newsletter Issue Joel Johnson Guest

Tactics Time

Invisible Defender Tactic

I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. ~ Ralph Ellison


T

oday's newsletter was written by Life Master Joel Johnson, author of the book "Formation Attacks" and the upcoming book "Formation Attack Strategies", which is scheduled to be released in June 2012. Thanks Joel!

In the position on the right it is Black to move.

Answer below.

What is an Invisible Defender?

It is a piece that defends another piece indirectly.

Or another way to look at it is you can move your piece to a square that looks unprotected, however if your opponent decides to capture it you will either win material or checkmate. Thus the piece looks undefended but in reality there is an Invisible Defender.

   When attempting this tactic you MUST be sure to have a solid threat or plan. Putting a piece on a square because you hope your opponent will take it is not a good idea. You will be just setting yourself up for a bad fall.

   The critical concepts with Invisible Defender tactics are:

   1) Invisible Defenders enable your pieces to navigate onto seemingly undefended squares, carrying your attack into enemy territory; and

   2) Invisible Defenders can be utilized to drag your opponent's pieces onto "bad" squares or away from key squares.

Here is the complete game:

[Event "Armenia Championship"]
[Site "Yerevan, Armenia"]
[Date "2007.01.22"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Arman Pashikian"]
[Black "Arsen Yegiazarian"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E17"]
[WhiteElo "2532"]
[BlackElo "2498"]
[PlyCount "56"]
[EventDate "2007.01.16"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. d5 exd5 8. Nh4
c6 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. Nf5 Nc7 11. e4 d5 12. Re1 Bf6 13. e5 Bc8 14. exf6 Bxf5 15.
fxg7 Re8 16. Rxe8+ Nxe8 17. Nc3 Nd7 18. Nxd5 cxd5 19. Qxd5 Ne5 20. Qxa8 Qd1+
21. Bf1 Bd7 22. Bf4 Nf3+ 23. Kg2 Ne1+ 24. Kg1 Qxa1 25. Qe4 Qd1 26. Be2 Nf3+ 27.
Kg2 Qg1+ 28. Kxf3 Bc6 0-1

You can play through this game here: http://tacticstime.com/?page_id=3250

Answer:

Black drags the White Queen away from his King with 28. ... Bc6!! so he can skewer it on the next move.

After White plays 29. Qxc6 Black can skewer the White Queen with 29. ... Qh1+ 30. Ke3 Qxc6. If Black had played Qh1+ immediately White could have countered with Ke3 still protecting his Queen.

Happy Tactics!

Your Friend,

Joel

   Life Master Joel Johnson
   2007 U.S. Senior Champion
   Author of "Formation Attacks" and "Formation Attack Strategies"

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