I have been playing with some trappintg strategies lately to test their effects on my opponents. Namely, I have been using this concept I found in a journal about animal behavior. The idea is simple:

     I will make a move that appears like a poorly played move to cover a play that will be made a few moves in the future. The idea is to get your opponent to think that they are winning a piece the easy way, covering your real motives which is doing something else. The only problem is that you have to be willing to see the plan through. In other words, you cannot stop the plan half way through because this causes a loss in material or position with no gain.

    This is the same idea behind a sacrifice that nets a result that is not immediate. Sacrificing pieces is something I've been working on lately and it has its advantages. However, since I am not a brilliant chess player I sometimes have the whole plan blow up in my face. Does anyone else use this type of tactic. I would like to hear from you if you do.

hi Hugh - I do the same way - mostly that part, when tha whole plan blow up in my face :) but when it works, it is brilliant! One I sacrificed my queen, keeping my bishop instead, and at the end I really needed the bish, and I didn't missed  the queen at all. I was free of worrying on her, and I got a weapon, freaking the opponent's queen with the other "cheap" pieces. Yes, that game was maginficent - especially for me :) 

Good Point. Queen sacrifices can often really throw your opponent off. Of course, I have made a Queen sacrifice and had it blow up in my face before. Thanks for the posting!

I once sacrificed a goat strapped with simtex. It also blew up in my face.

can you present a more specific example - or can you build one of those nifty little puzzles that will only allow you to work through a specific series of moves?