Questions tagged [sacrifice]

Question relating to sacrificing material in chess

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Why would white play Qf5

I was playing the following puzzle on lichess playing the black pieces and found the move Bf5, expecting either Qe2 or Qe3, resulting in me taking the white bishop on c2 and completing the puzzle. The ...
Remy's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
4k views

Why does GM Larry claim that this sacrifice is brilliant?

On this webpage GM Larry Kaufman claimed (at least up to 2012) that the following move was brilliant: [Title "Kasparov vs Shirov (Horgen 1994)"] [FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/...
user21820's user avatar
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16 votes
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Why did white sacrifice knight in this Nimzowitsch's 1905 game?

Saw this image in a WhatsApp group. Initially it looks attractive with a possibility of a "smothered mate", but I am unable to find out if white can really survive for several variations. [...
iammilind's user avatar
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17 votes
1 answer
1k views

History of this queen sacrifice in the 4 Knights

Arbiting an IM norm tournament last week I came across this position in one of the games. Both White's queen and bishop on a4 were en prise and it was Black's move! My initial reaction was that I must ...
Brian Towers's user avatar
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15 votes
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Why is sacrificing an extra pawn good for White in the Goring gambit but bad in the Smith-Morra gambit?

In both the Smith-Morra (accepted) and Goring gambit lines, white offers a pawn on c3. If Black takes the pawn on c3, White can play Bc4, offering a second pawn in exchange for rapid development with ...
hunter's user avatar
  • 313
9 votes
1 answer
194 views

c5-c4 pawn sacrifice in Benoni line

Consider the following line [FEN ""] [StartPly "23"] [StartFlipped "1"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. e4 g6 7. Bd3 Bg7 8. Nge2 O-O 9. O-O Nbd7 10....
DatBoi's user avatar
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8 votes
2 answers
2k views

Why does Stockfish recommend this queen sacrifice in this puzzle?

[Variant "From Position"] [FEN "r1b1r1k1/pp3ppp/2p5/2Ppn1q1/1P1Q2B1/4P1N1/P4PPP/R4RK1 w - - 9 18"] [Title ""] 1. Bxc8 Raxc8 2. f4 https://lichess.org/training/fRzq3 The ...
qwr's user avatar
  • 3,587
1 vote
1 answer
282 views

Did Lichess Level 8 truly lose this game?

Jonathan Scrantz played this game against Lichess Level 8: [Title "Jonathan Scrantz VS Stockfish Level 8 (3000) after 9. Kh1"] [FEN ""] [Startply "17"] 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 ...
user21820's user avatar
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10 votes
1 answer
701 views

Is this theoretical novelty double-piece sacrifice actually sound?

Working my way through Hannes Langrock's book on the modern Morra Gambit (second edition), I came across an interesting sacrifice that he believes is at best worth a draw. Indeed that's also Stockfish'...
HTTP 410's user avatar
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4 answers
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In this game, should white sacrifice their bishop to expose black's king?

I (black) reached this position in a game and realised that black's king would be totally exposed if white's bishop decided to take the pawn (1. Bxh6 gxh6). Is the smart move here for white to ...
Mitchell Graham's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
321 views

How is c4 the best move in this position?

[FEN "rn2r1k1/pp2qpp1/3b1nbp/2pp4/6PP/1B1PBP2/PPPQNK2/RN2R3 b KQkq - 0 14"] 14... c4 15. dxc4 Nxg4+ I set up the above position in Stockfish and the initial analysis was that c4 was the ...
Owen Kelvin's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
217 views

Why doesn't greek gift work in Pozsonyi vs Pataki 2005? Or does it?

original game. i'm asking about move 21. [Event "Ch Hungary (team) 2005/06"] [Site "HUN"] [Date "2005.12.04"] [Round "?"] [White "Istvan Pozsonyi"] [...
BCLC's user avatar
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13 votes
2 answers
2k views

What is the the idea behind this popular double pawn sacrifice line In the Evans Gambit?

I am learning a bit of Evans Gambit theory lately, and when exploring a Master level games database, I have found this surprising line. [FEN ""] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. ...
Aviv Aviv's user avatar
  • 301
3 votes
1 answer
175 views

Does this bishop sac when your knight is pinned to your queen have a name?

This is a common tactic in various openings. It goes like this: A bishop pins your knight to your queen You sacrifice your bishop with check to attract the king forward You give a check with your &...
Devon's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
163 views

Why is ...d5 the best move for Black?

I am learning chess and came across this position. Stockfish 11+ HCE (Depth 32/99) and Stockfish 13 (Depth 31/47) both says ...d5 is the best move for Black. But the next move is exd6 e.p., leaving ...
dayuloli's user avatar
  • 123
2 votes
1 answer
523 views

Why does Stockfish lose against this piece sacrifice in the Berlin Defense?

In a recent YouTube video, Jonathan Schrantz presents an absurd (?) piece sacrifice in the Berlin Defense, which Stockfish seems to vastly underestimate. The engine evaluation shows around -4, until ...
B.Swan's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
2k views

Bishop sacrifices to prevent castling

I have neen playing a higher amount of online chess as opposed to club chess lately and something I have noticed is a significant increase in Bishop sacrifices to prevent kingside castling. Here is ...
Dheebs's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
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What is the probability that an exchange sacrifice leads to a win?

I seem to win a lot of games when I sac a rook for a bishop or a knight. Is this just me, or do exchange sacrifices often lead to a win? I realize that any fool or noob can go overboard and do it all ...
jj me's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
159 views

Seeking an explanation for Nezhmetidnov’s queen sacrifice

In this game, Rashid Nezhmetidnov sacrificed his queen for a bishop. I see that White gets an outpost on d5, but I can't find anything else that justifises the sacrifice. Is there any other ...
user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
1k views

Deducing brilliant sacrifices

Is it possible to deduce brilliant sacrifices by analyzing a match's PGN along with the corresponding evaluation score after each move? If not, what other non-visual information would be needed to be ...
Wins94's user avatar
  • 137
34 votes
1 answer
5k views

Where can I find this game with a sacrifice followed by a long series of checks leading to a discovered mate? [duplicate]

I am looking for a chess game and frankly, I really know very little about it. I remember seeing it somewhere on the Internet. The game goes something like this. A player (either White or Black) ...
Aastik's user avatar
  • 451
23 votes
4 answers
5k views

Why doesn't Lichess' Stockfish suggest this bishop sacrifice?

I arrived at the following position in an online game after the opponent left a queen hanging. [FEN "r1b2r2/pp1p1ppk/2n1p3/6B1/2P5/5N2/PQ3PPP/R4RK1 w - - 0 16"] In the game, I played 16. Bf6 with ...
Aloizio Macedo's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
315 views

Idea behind e-pawn sacrifice in Open Sicilian: Najdorf, Freak Attack (6. Rg1)?

There are 10 games in my database with this variation played on a high level and the White score is +6-2=2, almost always White is the elo-wise weaker player. The highest rated White player to employ ...
B.Swan's user avatar
  • 3,469
2 votes
4 answers
2k views

Queenless Imbalanced Middlegame

I was analyzing the following position for one of the correspondence games that I am playing. In the position, white is up 2 pawns and with my limited understanding, I can't see any real compensation ...
SubhanKhan's user avatar
  • 2,168
8 votes
3 answers
796 views

Term for sacrifice that causes opponent to block an escape square?

A decoy or deflection typically lure an opponent's piece away from a square. What is it called when you sacrifice in order to lure/force an opponent to a certain square in order to prevent another ...
stevec's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
150 views

Is my positional pawn sacrifice justified?

Today I have played a game and the following position was reached: [fen "rn1qk2r/p4ppp/1p2bb2/1Q1pp3/8/3P2P1/PP2PPBP/RN2K1NR b - - 0 1"] 1... Nd7 2. Bxd5 a6 3. Qb3 Nc5 4. Bc6+ Ke7 5.Qa3 Rc8 6. Bg2 ...
Maths64's user avatar
  • 2,227
7 votes
4 answers
283 views

Is there a set of general rules of material sacrifice?

I happen to be playing a game where I am up in material, but my position is weak (several pieces are trapped and cannot be developed). I have some lines of very slow development I can play where I ...
z5h's user avatar
  • 173
4 votes
1 answer
240 views

What are the merits of Anand's exchange sacrifice in game 9 of 1995 World Chess Championship?

From various sources (some of which I have mentioned below) I have heard Vishy Anand's 27th move in game 9 of 1995 world chess championship match against Gary Kasparov , which was an exchange ...
srk_cb's user avatar
  • 677
2 votes
3 answers
358 views

Anderssen's 'immortal game'

I came across Anderssen's 'immortal game': [FEN ""] 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Bc4 Qh4+ 4. Kf1 b5 5. Bxb5 Nf6 6. Nf3 Qh6 7. d3 Nh5 8. Nh4 Qg5 9. Nf5 c6 10. g4 Nf6 11. Rg1 cxb5 12. h4 Qg6 13. h5 Qg5 14. ...
user21820's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
86 views

Idea behind sacrifice pawn

I would like to know what compensation White gets after the pawn sacrifice 6. b4. To me, giving back the pawn just for a tempo, i.e. Bb5, does not seem to be enough.
Maths64's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
1k views

Could this kind of inaccurate sacrifice be countered?

I recently played a Lichess Bullet Game as White. [FEN ""] 1.e4 e5 2.h4 Nc6 3.d3 Nf6 4.g3 Bc5 5.Nc3 d6 6.a3 O-O 7.b4 Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Ng4+ 9.Ke1 a6 10.Bh3 Nd4 11.Bxg4 b5 12.Bxc8 Rxc8 13.Nge2 Nxe2 14....
LIR's user avatar
  • 305
2 votes
3 answers
222 views

Is targeting the f7/f2 square in bughouse a good rule of thumb?

In Bughouse, players often target the f2/f7 square; it is common to see a minor sack on f7, followed by a knight on g5 delivering check and breaching through the opponent's defenses. I recently ...
ML72's user avatar
  • 83
6 votes
2 answers
1k views

Pawn Sacrifice Justification

A few weeks ago, Magnus Carlsen (White) played against Anish Giri (Black), and this position was reached on the board on move 17 after black had played exf4: Here is the full game: [White "Magnus ...
Maths64's user avatar
  • 2,227
0 votes
5 answers
4k views

Is the exchange of a rook for two minor pieces really worth it?

I recently played a game with my friend I wish I had memorized the entire game, but, unfortunately, my memory isn’t too good. In summary, I was in a really tight position, and playing as black. I had ...
Programming Champion's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
458 views

Why does white sacrifice their queen in this exercise?

I was doing this exercise on lichess, but I don't see why the best move for white is to sacrifice their queen in exchange for a knight (after Nh3+): [title "lichess puzzle 61517"] [fen "4r1k1/...
user avatar
37 votes
13 answers
10k views

Are there any gambits involving sacrificing a piece?

My impression of the word "gambit" is the sacrifice of a pawn or several pawns at the opening stage of a chess game. However, based on the definition on Wikipedia, a gambit (from ancient ...
Zuriel's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
419 views

Is this a sound elephant offer?

In the following dobutsu shogi position, is Gc3xc2 a bad move? ABC +---+ 1| | g 2|lce| 3|E G| 4| L | *C +---+
hkBst's user avatar
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3 votes
4 answers
743 views

Is this knight sacrifice a good idea?

I often play the following variation with black when I play blitz. Somehow it refuses the known lines of the Spanish. It looks like that black is going to be destroyed but almost always I win when I ...
Konstantinos Gaitanas's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
194 views

Why sacrificing a pawn was more preferable over more materialistic moves in Nakamura vs Ding in Altibox Norway Chess 2018?

Why sacrificing a pawn in this situation, 19... h5 is slightly more preferable by engine over more materialistic g6 or Kh8? This is in fact what Ding chose to play actually. Obviously, this is to ...
gdrt's user avatar
  • 1,030
13 votes
3 answers
1k views

How can I get a collection of chess games with a 'Greek gift' sacrifice?

I would like to make a collection of chess games that feature the 'Greek gift' sacrifice. There are few games on chessgames.com annotated with this sacrifice. I could find blogs with individual ...
user avatar
5 votes
4 answers
1k views

Has anyone had positive results using the Ruy Lopez Norwegian variation nightingale gambit?

There is a variation of the Ruy lopez that I have recently played and made two sacrifices and ended up with a very good game, and I wanted to know if anyone else could or have tried it? Here is the ...
Evin Switzer's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
278 views

How do you 'calculate' compensation in chess

Here is another very difficult subject for me that I can't even begin to understand [ incidentally, although I've been playing chess for over 50 years, my current ELO rating is only 1300, hence these ...
Dave H's user avatar
  • 589
9 votes
5 answers
510 views

Game analysis: What would motivate a human player to sacrifice White Knight at move 10 in this game?

I am a beginner player (rating on Lichess.org around 1550). While analyzing one of my own games (pasted below), Stockfish calculated that a Knight sacrifice at 10th move is a good idea. I tried ...
user avatar
10 votes
3 answers
1k views

Counting attackers and defenders, which pieces count?

I've heard multiple times the idea of counting attackers and defenders in estimating whether an attack/sacrifice will succeed. However, I think authors are quite loose in counting who is the attacker ...
jf328's user avatar
  • 2,428
2 votes
1 answer
242 views

Is a loss of two pawns worth the negation of opponents castling?

Consider a move where a bishop takes a pawn and gives check but without any defense, so the King can take the bishop. In many openings there is a opportunity in the first moves to do so. Can this ...
Superluminal's user avatar
  • 1,963
2 votes
3 answers
252 views

What will be the best move in this position?

I am a lower rated (1200-1300) player, and I am quite hesitant while making sacrifices. In the current game I see that black's king is unprotected and a bishop sacrifice at f5 can open up an attack ...
prog_SAHIL's user avatar
28 votes
3 answers
3k views

Spectacular queen sacrifice game

I once watched a famous chess game that I can't find anymore and maybe someone could help me find it. The game I watched evolved somehow natural until one moment: player1 sacrifices its queen. The ...
Jacob Krieg's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
802 views

Knight sacrifice performed by Deep Blue against Garry Kasparov

Below is the 1997 game of Deep Blue VS Garry Kasparov: r1bqkb1r/pp1n1pp1/2p1pn1p/6N1/3P4/3B1N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQK2R w - - 0 1 The last move 7...h6? was played by Kasparov (black), after which Deep Blue ...
Wais Kamal's user avatar
  • 3,022
1 vote
5 answers
370 views

Is this rook sacrifice intended?

rnbqk2r/p1pp1pbp/1p2p1pn/4P3/2BP4/5Q2/PPP2PPP/RNB1K1NR w KQkq - 0 1 Is the rook sacrifice intended by the black to trap white's queen or is it just a misplayed move?
prog_SAHIL's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
210 views

Who is better after this queen sacrifice line?

I was checking Hikaru vs Caruana's round 6 game, these are the first moves: [Event "London Chess Classic 2016"] [Site "London"] [Date "2016.12.15"] [Round "6.3"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "...
Rafael Martínez's user avatar