Tactics: Attraction!

“Attraction” in chess is a clever strategy. Learn how you can use it to force your opponent’s piece to a specific square and then launch a powerful attack!

Topic 1

We call a tactic an “attraction” when the followup idea is against the piece which was “attracted” TO the SQUARE; while deflection tactics depend on a piece being distracted AWAY from the TARGET. Continue to see White’s attraction tactic here!

Such a great move! The point of this rook sacrifice is to attract the black king to the e8 square.

Black has no choice but to capture this rook.
Now, try to find the correct followup to the “attracting” rook sacrifice White just played. It better be good!

Very good! This move wouldn’t do much if White played it on the first move, since the black king could then go to g7. But thanks to the attracting sacrifice Re8+ the black king is now in a bad spot.

Hence Black’s only legal move is to block with the queen, but that’s not going to get very far…
This one should be easy! Finish the job!

Checkmate! Here we have seen an example of an “attracting” sacrifice. The point is that we brought the king to e8 so that we could make an attack on the king itself.

Topic 2

Here we see one of the most common kinds of attraction sacrifices. Try to find how Black can force a checkmate, but be careful and don’t allow the white king to run away.

Bravo! The rook zooms down to the back rank, attracting the white king to the fatal h1 square.

Like a hypnotized rabbit, the white king has to comply.
Now that the white king has been attracted to the h1 square, how can Black land a killer blow against him?

Very good. This is checkmate. By the preliminary attracting sacrifice, the white king was forced to h1, from which he cannot run away.

Topic 3

Here we see another very frequently-occurring attraction sacrifice. White checkmates in two moves – note that the immediate Qh7+ is met by …Kf8.

Congratulations! The rook flies up into “outer space,” on a square which is guarded by both the king and the bishop – but of course the bishop is pinned.

So the black king must capture the rook.
Those rooks sure do love sacrificing themselves for attraction tactics, don’t they? Now make your rook proud and deliver the mate!

White’s preliminary attraction sacrifice brought the black king to h8, where it was checkmated. Remember this pattern, because it happens frequently.

Topic 4

In this problem, Black gets an attractive promotion, but only if he plays his cards (or pieces) right! It isn’t even the most valuable promotion, but it has its perks! Continue to see the first move.

Black was threatened with various attacks on his king, as well as the promotion of the white pawn. So an absolutely forcing move was the only way to go.

White has no other choice but to capture.
If you just take f1 the newly-created queen will be captured by the white king, then Black will scoop up the c7-pawn. The game will be drawn. Instead, what’s a brilliant attraction sacrifice for Black here?

!! A brilliant move! Black both deflects the white king away from guarding f1, and attracts him to a certain square, which will be beneficial to Black.

There is no choice, since if Kf2 then gxf1=Q+ skewers the white queen after Kxf1 Qxd2.
Now, you get to figure out what the “punchline” to Black’s combination was. Black to play and win.

Excellent! Usually you promote to a queen, because it is the most valuable piece. But here that would just leave a queen against a queen. Instead Black promoted to a knight, forking the white king and queen!

And Black is left with an extra knight, which will be enough to win this position.