Fianchetto Spies

The Spies from Fianchetto....by, Ms Jessica Era Martin (aka BoundingOwl)

Back rank mate times three!  Do you usually fianchetto your bishop?  I do.  Pretty much always.  He's my little safety bishop.  Acts like a giant, vicious pawn, breathing fire down the long diagonal.  But what if your bishop is secretly a spy?  Working for the other team? 

 

 

 

This checkmate pattern uses an absolute pin.  Do you remember that lesson?  First, check the king.  Force the bishop to block.  Then eat the bishop.  Checkmate!  (Why do you sometimes take with the more valuable piece?) 

 

 

 

Here the fianchettoed bishop has ventured out of his little cave.  Danger!  The white bishop now controls the flight square g7.  The king is seatbelted in and can't escape!

 

 

For our last puzzle, you can force open the mini-diagonal to the king.  It's as though white had fianchettoed, but there's no bishop to help!   

 

 

 

Did you notice the deflection tactic in these puzzles?   (Um,..deflection??)

 

 

Hope you had a great  Halloween!