ChessA desperado is when a piece can't be saved anymore, so before it gets taken you send it off to capture an enemy piece first. It's going down anyway, so it might as well take a bite on the way. Beginners whose piece gets trapped often think only "how do I run?" and forget it can still capture something first. When you play free online chess and see that one of your pieces is lost, first check what it can take.
What it looks like
First look at where the white knight could go: b7 is covered by the black queen, c4 and b3 by the bishop on e6, and a5 is attacked by the pawn on b6. Wherever it runs, it gets taken.
If White ignores it, the knight is lost to a pawn for nothing. But the knight can still take the black knight on c6. It gets taken back by the queen, but it becomes a knight for a knight, and White loses nothing. That's a desperado.
When it comes in handy
A trapped piece
After greedily taking on a7, the white bishop is stuck: b8 is covered by the black rook, and b6 is blocked by the pawn. It can't be saved. Instead of waiting for the rook to take it, it grabs one more pawn. In the end White gives a bishop for two pawns, much better than for just one.
Two pieces attacked at once
White was sure to lose a piece. The bishop couldn't be saved anyway, so it took a pawn with check, and then the knight got away. White at least wins back a pawn, and the black king's cover gets opened up a little.
A real example: the "fork trick" in the Four Knights Game
In the Four Knights Game, Black has a well-known trick: take on e4 with the knight, then fork with a pawn. White's answer is exactly a desperado:
Let's count: Black's knight took the e4 pawn, and White took the knight back. White's bishop took the d5 pawn, and Black took the bishop back. Material is level again. White can also play 6. Bd3, let the knight go, and take back on e4 with the bishop, with the same level result. The point is: when a pawn forks your pieces, don't assume you have to lose one for nothing. For more, see the Four Knights Game.
How to defend
- After you trap an enemy piece, check what it can capture. A trapped piece will often "bite back before it dies," so protect whatever it can reach first.
- Before you fork with a pawn, think about whether your opponent can take a bite first. The attacked piece may capture your pawn or a piece before it falls.
- Count carefully during trades. When both sides have pieces under attack, who captures first, and what, makes a big difference.
- Don't panic when your own piece is trapped. First see whether it can capture something, or even give check, before you decide how to give it up.
Practice puzzles
Show answer
1. Nxc7 If the knight runs to b6, the a7 pawn takes it. If it stays put, the black bishop takes it. Better to take the pawn on c7: before the black queen takes it back, it has at least won one more pawn.
Show answer
1... Bxb3 2. cxb3 If the bishop runs to b1, the rook takes it there too. Better to take the pawn on b3 as well and get taken by the c-pawn. Black gives a bishop for two pawns, which is better than for just one.
Show answer
1. Nxf7 The knight takes the pawn on f7, and from f7 it attacks the black queen on d8. Black either takes the knight with the king, or saves the queen first and lets the knight escape. Either way, White wins an extra pawn. Jumping to g6 would just lose the knight to a pawn for nothing.
FAQ
What's the difference between a desperado and a sacrifice?
A sacrifice is giving a piece away on purpose to get something bigger. A desperado is a piece that was lost anyway, grabbing a little something before it's taken. One is "giving," the other is "it's gone anyway, so eat first."
Does a desperado have to capture something?
Mostly, yes, since the whole point is to win back what you're losing. If it can capture with check, even better: your opponent has to answer the check first, and you might save another piece too.
Can both sides play a desperado?
Yes. Sometimes both sides have pieces under attack, and each side takes turns using a doomed piece to grab something. The position gets very messy. Then you really have to count move by move to see who ends up a piece ahead.
Try it yourself
The desperado is a lot like the zwischenzug: both are about looking one move further during trades. The next time one of your pieces gets trapped, don't give up right away. First see what it can still take. For more tactics, go back to chess tactics. To practice for real, play a game of chess against a computer.