GET BETTER AT

00

CHESS
TRICKS
ISBN :

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Publisher: Comrades Chess

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the publisher
01
FOREWORD

"Chess Tricks" is your shortcut to mastery!

Written by experienced chess teachers Ivan
and Simon, this book packs their years of
classroom wisdom into clear, easy-to-follow
lessons. Ditch the confusion and common
pitfalls, and learn to play smarter, not
harder.
Simple language and vivid illustrations
guide you through essential tactics, helping
you avoid beginner blunders and unlock
your full chess potential. Whether you're a
curious newcomer or a seasoned player
seeking refinement, "Chess Tricks" has the
key to your next victorious move.

Dan Isabirye, Phd

President Mind Sports Ug.
02

INTRODUCTION 1

For a while now, the idea of a book filled

with chess tricks has been brewing in our
minds. We're captivated by the hidden
possibilities on the board, even those
without fancy names. Countless games
are lost not for lack of skill, but for missing
tactical opportunities. This third book in
our series delves into the essential chess
tricks every improving player should
master. We encourage you to take your
time, study the positions carefully, and
analyze where necessary. So, dear reader,
welcome to the thrilling world of tactics!.

yours faithfully,
Ivan Mukuye
 03
INTRODUCTION 2

Many chess players, especially beginners, lose games

not because their opponents are brilliant, but because
of their own mistakes. These mistakes often feel like
accidental blunders, rather than strategic losses.
Here are some common "accidents" to watch out for:

Giving away pieces for free, without gaining

anything in return.
Trading valuable pieces for less important ones
early in the game.
Letting your pieces get outnumbered and
overwhelmed by your opponent's.
Falling for simple tactical tricks and traps.

This book will help you recognize these common

mistakes and patterns, so you can avoid making them
yourself and learn to exploit them when your opponent
does. While this book provides valuable insights,
remember that hard work and practice are essential for
improvement.
Other important qualities for chess players include
patience, self-control, strong nerves, a good memory,
and a willingness to learn from coaches and teachers.

Kind regards,
Gonza Simon.
 04 BOARD NOTATION

Here is a chess board with NO Here is a chess board with letters

letters and numbers and numbers

All chess squares have names.

a8 b8 c8 d8 e8 f8 g8 h8
a7 b7 c7 d7 e7 f7 g7 h7
a6 b6 c6 d6 e6 f6 g6 h6
a5 b5 c5 d5 e5 f5 g5 h5
a4 b4 c4 d4 e4 f4 g4 h4
a3 b3 c3 d3 e3 f3 g3 h3
a2 b2 c2 d2 e2 f2 g2 h2
a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 h1
05 BOARD NOTATION

CHESS PIECE MOVES

PAWN

KNIGHT - N CAPTURING - X

SHORT CASTLING - O-O

BISHOP - B
LONG CASTLING - O-O-O

CHECK - +
ROOK - R CHECKMATE - #
WHITE WINS - 1-
0

BLACK WINS - 0-1

QUEEN - Q

DRAW - 1/2 - 1/2

KING - K
06 CONTENTS
chapters

01
Deflection

02
Destroy the defender

03
Decoy

04
Trapped Piece

05
Intermezzo

06
X-Ray
07

This is a book by two chess

coaches Ivan Mukuye and Gonza
Simon.

Comrades books.

1. LEARN THE GAME by Ivan

Mukuye

2. GET BETTER AT CHESS by

Ivan Mukuye & Gonza Simon
08
CHAPTER

01

Deflection
09

DEFLECTION
DEFINITION

A deflection in chess is a sneaky tactic where you

force an opponent's piece to move away from a
crucial square or duty, opening up an opportunity
for you to exploit. Think of it like strategically
distracting a guard to sneak past them and grab
the treasure!
Here's how it works:
1. You identify a piece that's doing double duty:
defending something important (like a king or
valuable piece) and also occupying a key
square.
2. You make a move that threatens that piece,
but not in a way that directly captures it.
3. Your opponent, wanting to protect their piece,
is forced to move it away from its original
position.
4. Boom! The square or piece that was previously
defended is now exposed and vulnerable,
allowing you to launch an attack, win material,
or gain some other advantage.
10
DEFLECTION

Observe that black

.
plays Rxh3+
with a plan. After gxh3, then Qxh3+
forces Rh2. The rook now on h2 is
deflected away from defense on its
other rook. And therefore, Qxf1
checkmate.
11
DEFLECTION

.
White has got a queen. However black can
also get a new queen by Re1+ followed by Rb1
and then a1=Q+. The king has been deflected
away from the queening square.
12
DEFLECTION

.
Here Ba6+ deflects the king away
from f1 to e1. This is met by Rg1
which is a skewer. This will cause
loss of a rook in a few moves. Can
you find out how?
13
DEFLECTION

.
Rh6 is a very good deflecting move. The king
must take on h6 and move away for defense
pf pawn f6. Then the queen gives a
checkmate Qf6.
14 DEFLECTION

Blacks Qb2 does the magic. It also combines

with its rook on the c file to attack the pawn
on c3. The white king gets deflected away
from c3 pawn and gets attacked further
more. Find how best to continue the attack.
15 DEFLECTION

.
Here Qf5+ causes a deflection either of the
King or its g-pawn. If Kh4, then Rh2
checkmate. If pawn g4, then Qf3 followed by
Rh2 checkmate again
 16
DEFLECTION

Black starts with Bxd4. and white recaptures

with any piece. Then black unleashes Nf3+. This
deflects the white queen away from defense of
its rook or else the knight itself will capture the
rook.
 17
DEFLECTION

Here is a combination of. deflections to achieve

checkmate. First black knight gives check on
e2, white king moves to h1. Then the other
black knight checks on f2, and the rook must
take it. Therefore, the rook has been deflected
away from guarding the rank of the king.
Black rook now checks and mate will follow in
a few moves.
18
DEFLECTION

.
Re8+ deflects the king away from the defense
of the f6-pawn.
19
CHAPTER

02

destroy
the
DEFENDer
20 DESTROY THE DEFENDER

DEFINITION

Chess is a game of attacks and

defenses.
Removing a piece that is critical to the
defense of another piece, allowing the
now undefended piece to be captured
on a following move.
21 DESTROY THE DEFENDER

Timothy of Uganda took the e5 pawn

which was defending a knight. After
the recapture, the knight was hanging
after. He won a pawn.

Played in Kampala, Uganda - 2023

22 DESTROY THE DEFENDER

Here black plays Qxf3 and after white

replies with gxf3, the g-pawn was
defending h3 but now it has gone
away. Therefore, a knight will take h3
and cause a fork hence getting
advantage to win the game.
23
DESTROY THE DEFENDER

Black destroys the knight on c4 which was

.
defending the Re5 and white takes back bxc4. And
now Nxe5 is met by Bxe5. Then Rxg5+ causes the
loss of a Bishop to white.
 24 DESTROY THE DEFENDER

In the game, White played the dubious move

Nb5. Black disconnects the Queen from
defending the Knight on b5 by playing d3!
Whatever White uses to capture, the knight on b5
will soon fall.
25 DESTROY THE DEFENDER

.
Here Allan of Uganda took the
Nc3 and then followed with
Nxe4, winning a pawn.

Played in Kampala, Uganda - 2023

26 DESTROY THE DEFENDER

Here Bxe4 and black should play Bxe4 since

Nxe4 leads to Bxe7, losing the queen. But
after black plays Bxe4, white destroys the
knight Bxf6 and this leaves its bishop on e4
undefended.

Played in Kampala, Uganda - 2023

27 DESTROY THE DEFENDER

Here Rd8+ destroys the defenses on black’s

pieces. If black plays Rxd8, the queen hangs.
And if Kg7, then Qxc6 causes problems again.
Do you see how?
28 DESTROY THE DEFENDER

When black exchanges queens by Qxe5, white

will have a defenseless piece. If the white
bishop takes back on e5, the white rook on a7
will hang.
29
DESTROY THE DEFENDER

.
The black rook takes on f4 and breaks
down the defenses of white. Now if the
white rook takes on f4, the black queen
gets in with Qxg5+ and then takes the
rook or checkmate on g2, depending on
white’s reply.
30
CHAPTER

03

decoy
31

DECOY
DEFINITION

In chess, a decoy is a tactic

that lures an opponent's piece
away from its defensive
position, often to a vulnerable
square, setting it up for
capture or attack. It's like a
magician diverting your
attention to one hand while
the trick happens in the other.
An exchange or sacrifice
encouraging or forcing an
opponent piece to a square
that allows a follow-up tactic.
32 DECOY

Here black plays Rxg2,. this forces the white

king onto square g2. While on g2, black
performs a fork (check this in Book 2) with
attacks the king and queen at the same time.
White will lose the game.
33
DECOY

.
White sacrifices the queen Qxb8+ which
pulls the black king out. Then white plays
Re8 forcing Nc8 by black and it gets
pinned (check book 2). Then pawn d7!!
Boom. Winning.
34
DECOY

.
White plays Qxf6+ which forces black to
play Bg6. Now white plays Rh5+, the
King must take the rook and face
checkmate from the queen. Can you see
it?
35
DECOY

.
Here black played a check Rf8 and got
surprised by Qxf8+. The black king took the
Queen on f8 thus getting decoyed into a
fork by Nxe6 and followed by Nxc7,
winning.
36
DECOY

.
White plays Rxc7+ and black king takes on
c7. White then plays a skewer (check in book
2) by Qa7+.
37
DECOY

.
White plays Qxc4 and black is happy to
take Qxc4. But the queen has been
decoyed into a fork (checkout book 2) by
the white knight by Nxd6+ followed by
Nxc4, winning. Notice the pawn on e7 is
under a pin by the white rook on e1.
38
DECOY

.
Rxh7+ decoys the black king to h7. White now
follows with Qxg6+ followed by Qh5 and mate
will follow after.
39
DECOY

Nb5 breaks black because

. if Ka6, then
Nxc7 forking the black rook. If Rxb5, then
another decoy Ra8+. King takes on a8 and
then Qd8+ followed by Qxc7 and then a
mate follows. Can you work it out?
40
CHAPTER

04

Trapped
piece
 41
TRAPPED PIECE

DEFINITION

A piece is unable to escape capture as it

has limited moves. A trapped piece in chess
is any piece (knight, bishop, rook, or queen)
that has lost most or all of its legal
movement options. It's like being stuck in a
corner, surrounded by enemy forces! This
makes the trapped piece vulnerable in two
main ways:
1. Capture: Since it can't move easily, the
trapped piece becomes a prime target
for your opponent to capture and gain
material advantage.
2. Reduced effectiveness: Even if not
captured, a trapped piece loses its
attacking and defending power
because its limited movement restricts
its influence on the board.
42
TRAPPED PIECE

.
Katimbo Frank, a veteran seasonal player
of Uganda after playing pawn to h3, black
played Bh5. White went pawn g4 and
Bishop escaped to g6. But then pawn f5
trapped the bishop and gained advantage
to win the game.

Played in Kampala, Ug - 2024

43
TRAPPED PIECE

Here Ggayi William, a. formidable junior of

Uganda played pawn to g5 and white
bishop escaped to g3. Then black went
pawn h4. This move trapped the bishop
and it got captured.

Played in Kampala, Ug - 2024

44
TRAPPED PIECE

.
Here Kingoina Oruke of Kenya played c3
and the white knight escaped to b1,
then black played pawn to b4 to
strengthen the grip on his c3 pawn.
Notice how the white knight on b1 lacks
space and can not move away safely. It
is a trapped piece.

Played in Nairobi , Kenya -

45
TRAPPED PIECE

.
Look at Blacks Queen on a2. White
played Ra3, and this was lights out for
that queen on a2.
46
TRAPPED PIECE

.
Black saw how stuck the white
Queen was at a3. And therefore, a
piece that is stuck must be
attacked and captured. Ra8!!
Trapping the white queen.
47
TRAPPED PIECE

.
Here Bg5 puts the black queen in a trap.
Notice that the f-pawn is pinned (check out
Book 2) to its rook and can’t capture the
bishop because of the checkmate Qxf8.
48
TRAPPED PIECE

.
Notice how stuck the white queen is at the
corner. A stuck piece must be attacked. So
Rf8 closes down the trapped queen. Notice
the rook is protected by its bishop.
49
CHAPTER

05

intermezzo
50

INTERMEZZO
DEFINITION

An intermezzo, also known

as zwischenzug (German) or
in-between move, is a
tactical chess maneuver
where you make an
unexpected move that
disrupts your opponent's
plans and forces them to
respond immediately, often
to a threat like check or
capture. It's like inserting a
surprise move "in between"
their expected replies.
51 INTERMEZZO

Here Tim Caleb Francis of Uganda with white

took Bxe4 expecting Rxe4 where he would take
a free queen by Qxd8. But black solved this
with an intermezzo, after Bxe4, he first played
Qxd1 and later went to take Rxe4. The Qxd1
move is an intermezzo

Played in Kampala, Uganda - 2023

 52 INTERMEZZO

Amunga Givans of Kenya played Nxe6

expecting black to play fxe6 where he would
take a free bishop on d6. But after Nxe6, black
played an intermezzo Bxg3+ and then went
back to take fxe6. Notice the power of check in
the intermezzo move.

Played in Nairobi, Ken- 2023

53 INTERMEZZO

Black played Qxc2 expecting Rxc2 but saw

Rxf8+ intermezzo. Then white came back to
play Rxc2, getting the advantage.

Played in , Kenya - 2023

 54 INTERMEZZO

In this one, black expected hxg5 but was

surprised by Bxh7+, an intermezzo which
breaks black’s defenses since after Kxh7 is now
met by hxg5+ and the queen joins the rook on
the open h file to continue the attack.
55 INTERMEZZO

Here Qxf1 makes white play Kxf1 but now

fxg6+ and then gxh5 follows after. The
move Qxf1 is the intermezzo.
56 INTERMEZZO

This online game was bloody. Nxg4 opens

many possibilities. If fxg4, Qh4+ is the
intermezzo. It forced Ke2 and Bxg4+, boom!!
A skewer (check it in Book 2).
57

CHAPTER

06

x-ray

attack
58

X-RAY ATTACK
DEFINITION

In chess, An x-ray attack is

when a piece attacks or
defends a square, through
an enemy piece, essentially
seeing past it like an x-ray.
By strategically using x-ray
attacks, you can exploit
weaknesses in your
opponent's position and
gain a significant
advantage on the
chessboard.
59
X-RAY ATTACK

See connection through the black enemy

piece here. Qf8+ is taken by Rxf8 but
white rook follows with Rxf8 checkmate.

Played in Kampala, Uganda - 2023

60
X-RAY ATTACK

Black plays Be3+. There are many replies

here but all lead to mate. But if Kh1, an x-ray
attack on f1 occurs. Qxf1+ followed by Rxf1
checkmate.
61
X-RAY ATTACK

Here Qe8+ is connecting with its rook on

b8 through the enemy rook on d8.the
resultant check will be a checkmate. Can
you find out how?
62
X-RAY ATTACK

A superb check Re7+ is possible by the x-ray

idea. This breaks down the resistance of black as
he will lose his queen and then later get
checkmated. Work out how you will checkmate.
63 X-RAY ATTACK

.
Rxh3 is very strong. After kxh3, there is
Rh8 and mate follows after Qf5!
64
X-RAY ATTACK

.
Look at how black gave up a bishop
thinking he will checkmate after a
combination of moves. But after Rxe6,
the move by white Rf8 is met by Re8, an
x-ray defense.
65
EXERCISES
.

Here are some exercises for the

reader to work through.
The positions are actual games that
have been reached by chess players
at different levels, some can be solved
in one move and others in more than
a move.
If you find the exercise tough, kindly
consult your coach to take you
through the steps to get the right
answers.
You can also feel free to contact us at
comradeschess@gmail.com
if the puzzles seem more
challenging.

ENJOY THE GAME AS YOU GET

BETTER AT CHESS!
67 EXERCISES
68 EXERCISES
69 EXERCISES
70 EXERCISES
71 EXERCISES
72 EXERCISES
73 EXERCISES
74 EXERCISES
75 EXERCISES
76 EXERCISES
77
THE END

If you have been able to solve all the

puzzles in this book, it is a sign that you
are a good chess player!

You can continue practicing and

challenging stronger players (there will
always be stronger players). If you run out
of opponents in your neighborhood, feel
free to visit online websites like lichess.org
, chess.com, chessarena.com
But always remember not to become a
CHESS ADDICT!?.

ENJOY THE GAME AS YOU GET

BETTER AT CHESS TRICKS!
 This is a book by two chess coaches
Ivan Mukuye and Gonza Simon. Their
teaching experience and lessons
have been put in this book to help
the progressive player get better at
chess tricks. The themes covered are
helpful to all players at different
levels!

ENJOY THE GAME AS YOU GET BETTER

AT CHESS TRICKS!

book 3