Tactical motifsStep 6 of 7
Attraction
The opposite of deflection: a sacrifice that drags an enemy piece exactly where you want it.
The opposite of deflection: instead of chasing a piece away, you drag it — onto a square where it will be badly placed.
It is almost always a sacrifice, and that is what makes it hard to see: you have to accept giving up material in order to place an enemy piece where it suits you.
Demonstration — use the arrows
Use the ← and → arrow keys, or click a move in the list.
Move list
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
What to remember: before sacrificing, ask one question — which square do I want that piece to be on? If the answer makes a motif possible (a fork, a mate, a skewer), the sacrifice can be calculated. If not, it is just a piece given away.
It is the same mechanism as Philidor’s legacy: there the queen gives herself up to drag the rook to g8, the king’s last free square.
Your turn
Your turn
White to move
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Play your move on the board: drag a piece, or tap it and then tap its destination square.
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