Attraction
Lure an enemy piece to a specific square where it becomes vulnerable to a follow-up tactic.
Published 2026-02-01 | Last verified 2026-02-12
Professor Archer says: Attraction is chess at its most cunning. You offer your opponent something they cannot refuse — usually a piece — and when they take it, they have walked into your trap. It reminds me of the Trojan Horse in Greek mythology: an irresistible gift that conceals a devastating surprise. The sacrifice is the bait, and the follow-up is the hook. I have always found attraction sacrifices to be among the most beautiful ideas in chess, because they require you to see several moves ahead and trust in the logic of your combination.
Understanding Attraction
Attraction is a tactical concept where you lure an enemy piece to a particular square that makes it vulnerable to a follow-up tactic. The "lure" is typically a sacrifice — you offer material that the opponent feels compelled to capture, and the act of capturing draws them onto the dangerous square.
The most common target of attraction is the enemy king. By sacrificing a piece on a specific square, you force the king to capture it (or move to it), and once the king is on that square, a devastating fork, check, or mating combination becomes possible.
But attraction can target any piece. You might lure a queen to a square where she can be forked by a knight, or attract a rook to a square where it blocks its own king's escape. The key ingredient is always the same: the bait must be so tempting (or so threatening) that the opponent has no practical choice but to take it.
Attraction differs from deflection in an important way. Deflection forces a piece away from where it is useful. Attraction draws a piece toward a square where it becomes vulnerable. Both involve moving an enemy piece, but the direction and purpose are different. In deflection, you want the piece gone. In attraction, you want the piece precisely here — on the square of your choosing.
The beauty of attraction lies in the planning. You must visualize the final position first — where you need the enemy piece to be — and then work backward to find the sacrifice that puts it there.
Attraction Sacrifice in Action
Let us examine how attraction works in a practical setting. The most dramatic attractions involve king sacrifices that set up mating combinations or winning forks.
Consider a classic pattern: the queen is sacrificed on a square adjacent to the enemy king. The king must capture (there is no other sensible option), and once on that square, a knight delivers a fork against the king and another valuable piece, or a discovered check wins material.
For example, White might play Qxf7+ (sacrificing the queen on f7), forcing the Black king to capture on f7. Now the king is on f7, and White plays Nd6+ — a knight fork hitting the king and the rook on a8. The king must move, and the knight captures the rook. White sacrificed a queen but won a rook and disrupted Black's position dramatically.
In the position shown, the f7 square (or f2 for Black) is often the target of attraction sacrifices in the opening, because it is defended only by the king and is a natural focal point for pieces on the a2-g8 and c4-f7 diagonals.
The calculative process for attraction is: first, identify a tactical pattern that would work if the enemy piece were on a certain square. Second, find a sacrifice that forces the piece to that square. Third, verify that the combination is sound and that the follow-up works. This three-step process is the foundation of combinative chess.
The f7 square is a classic target for attraction sacrifices in the opening, defended only by the king.
Types of Attraction
Attraction takes several forms depending on the target and the method of luring.
King attraction is the most common and dramatic. Sacrificing material to draw the king into the open is a recurring theme in chess. Once the king is exposed, it becomes vulnerable to checks, forks, and mating attacks. Many famous miniatures (short games decided by brilliant play) feature king attraction as the central theme.
Queen attraction involves luring the opponent's queen to a square where it can be trapped or forked. Because the queen is so valuable, players are often reluctant to "decline" a sacrifice near their queen, making attraction effective. Once the queen is on the target square, a knight fork or a pin can win it.
Piece attraction involves drawing a minor piece or rook to a specific square. This is less common but can be equally effective. For example, attracting a rook to a square where it blocks its own king's escape can set up a mating combination.
The method of attraction is usually a sacrifice, but it can also be a forcing move that does not involve material loss. A check that drives the king to a specific square, for instance, is a form of attraction even though no material is given up. The common thread is always the same: you control where the enemy piece goes, and you have a plan for what happens next.
Finding Attraction Opportunities
Finding attraction opportunities in your games requires a specific thinking process that I call "backward reasoning." Instead of looking at the current position and thinking forward, you start with a desired outcome and work backward to find the path.
Step one: identify a tactical pattern that would work if an enemy piece were on a different square. Perhaps you see a knight fork that would be devastating if only the king were on e6 instead of e8. Or maybe a mating combination would work if the king were on g1 instead of h1.
Step two: ask whether you can force the enemy piece to the required square. Is there a sacrifice you can offer on that square? Is there a check that drives the king there? Could a series of forcing moves guide the piece to the target?
Step three: calculate the combination thoroughly. Even if you find a sacrifice that attracts the piece to the right square, you must verify that the follow-up works. Does the combination actually win material or deliver mate? Are there defensive resources you have missed?
This backward reasoning is one of the most powerful thinking tools in chess. It transforms you from a passive player (reacting to what you see) into an active one (creating positions you want). Many of the most beautiful combinations in chess history were found through exactly this process.
Practice by working through tactical puzzles that feature attraction sacrifices. With experience, you will develop an intuition for when an attraction might be possible, and the specific calculations become easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is attraction in chess?
Attraction is a tactic that lures an enemy piece to a specific square where it becomes vulnerable to a follow-up combination. The lure is typically a sacrifice the opponent feels compelled to accept, and the follow-up is often a fork, pin, or mating attack.
How do you use attraction in a game?
Use backward reasoning: first identify a tactical pattern that would work if an enemy piece were on a certain square, then find a sacrifice or forcing move that draws the piece to that square. Verify that the follow-up combination is sound before committing to the sacrifice.
Professor Archer says: When you study famous games, pay special attention to sacrifices that lure the king to specific squares. These are almost always attraction tactics. The master sees that if the king stands on a certain square, a knight fork or a mating pattern becomes possible. So they sacrifice to put the king there. That backward reasoning — starting from the desired position and working backward — is the key to finding attractions in your own games.
Quick Quiz
White sacrifices the queen on f7, forcing the Black king to capture. Then White plays Nd6+, forking the king and rook. What tactic was the queen sacrifice?
- A deflection - A deflection forces a piece away from a defensive duty. Here, the sacrifice is drawing the king toward a specific square, not pushing it away from a role.
- An attraction (Correct) - Correct. The queen sacrifice lures the king to f7, where it becomes vulnerable to the knight fork on d6. This is a textbook attraction: sacrifice to draw a piece to a specific square, then exploit it.
- A clearance sacrifice - A clearance sacrifice opens a line for your own pieces. The queen sacrifice here is about luring the king, not clearing a line.
- Interference - Interference blocks a line between two enemy pieces. This sacrifice is about forcing the king to a vulnerable square, a fundamentally different concept.