The square is the target
Sometimes you see a trick that would work if only your opponent's king or queen stood on a different square. Then you can often force it there. You sacrifice something on that very square, and since the sacrifice has to be taken, the piece ends up where you want it.
That is called a decoy, or attraction. The sacrifice looks expensive, but what you get back is bigger: a fork, a pin or a mate.
Into the fork
The knight on g5 can jump to f7, and from there it attacks both h8 and d8. The king already stands on h8. Now the job is to get the queen there.
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Into the mate
Most often it is the king that is lured out. Here the king is almost shut in: the knight on e7 guards g8 and g6. If only the king stood on h7, the rook could give mate along the h-file.
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This mating pattern with rook and knight has a name of its own: Anastasia's mate. Among the checkmate patterns there is another famous example of the same idea, where the queen is sacrificed on g8 to lure a rook there, so that the knight can give a smothered mate.
Think backward
- Start with the goal. On which square would you like your opponent's king or queen to be?
- Find the sacrifice. Which of your pieces can go to that square, so that it has to be taken?
- Keep calculating. Does the trick work after that? The fork, the pin or the mate has to come at once, before your opponent can catch their breath.
The opposite of the decoy is deflection, where you force a piece away from a square instead of luring it to one. Practice more with attraction (decoy) puzzles.
Frequently asked questions
What is a decoy in chess?
A move, usually a sacrifice, that forces one of your opponent's pieces onto a certain square. The square is chosen with care: there the piece can be forked, pinned or checkmated.
What is the difference between a decoy and deflection?
In a decoy, what counts is the square the piece lands on. In a deflection, what counts is the square the piece leaves.
Is a decoy the same as attraction?
Yes. Both words are used for the same trick: luring a piece to the square where you want it.
Updated October 31, 2026
The starting position. Press ▶ or use the arrow keys.