How do I use a decoy to win material in xiangqi?
These answers restate the rules implemented by our open-source engine, which follows the WXF laws and is regression-tested against the official 110-diagram repetition casebook. Where an answer refers to a specific position, that position lives on the linked reference page, where the build verifies it against the engine before publishing.
Direct answer
Force a piece, usually the general, onto a square where a follow-up tactic then does the real damage. A decoy is rarely valuable for its own sake; it exists to set up the fork, pin or discovered attack that comes right after, so the whole sequence needs to be calculated as one unit before the decoy is played.
Why the general is the usual target
The general cannot decline a check, so a sacrifice that forces it to a specific point is one of the few decoys that is guaranteed to work. Once it lands on that square, a horse fork or a discovered check often follows immediately.
Decoying other pieces
Against ordinary pieces, a decoy works by offering a capture that looks free. If taking it walks into a fork or a pin, the piece has been decoyed even though nothing forced it, which is why greedy captures are worth double-checking before playing them.
Related questions
Does a decoy always involve a sacrifice?
Often, but not always. Any move that lures a piece to a specific square counts, even a quiet one.
How is this different from a clearance sacrifice?
A clearance sacrifice removes a piece from a square; a decoy draws a piece onto one.
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