ChessRanger
Tactics

Desperado

A piece that is doomed anyway, so it grabs material or makes trouble before it falls.

When a piece is going to be lost no matter what, it may as well take something on the way out. A desperado captures, checks, or forces an exchange to squeeze value from a lost cause.

It most often appears in the middle of a sequence of captures on the same square, where both sides have a hanging piece and whoever grabs first comes out ahead.

Why it matters

Remembering the desperado idea saves half-points and sometimes whole games — a piece you'd written off can still even the material or draw by perpetual.

The mistake everyone makes

Meekly recapturing when your attacked piece could first snatch a pawn or force a trade that changes the count.

Related terms

Zwischenzug
An unexpected in-between move played before the 'obvious' recapture.
Perpetual check
An unbroken series of checks the opponent can never escape, forcing a draw by repetition.
Tactic
A short, forcing sequence of moves that wins material or delivers mate.

See Desperado in your own games

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