Chess Tactics Guide : Chess Sacrifices Guide

When beginners set out to play a game of Chess, more often than not, running in the back of their mind is a loosely cobbled-together objective to “capture as many of the enemy pieces as possible and avoid losing your own …”

So, it maybe comes as a surprise when they learn that a Sacrifice – the deliberate loss of your own material – can turn out to be a shrewd, advantage-gaining tactic.

It’s not a case of launching a piece towards its own doom, without anything to show for it … In the dirty business of Chess Sacrifices, you expect some sort of worthwhile Return On the Investment …

As you’ll see, on this page, such returns can be in the form of:

• Gaining a better Position on the Board;
• Gaining Material and doing better in the exchange;
• Gaining Victory through Checkmate;
• Or, at the very least, Avoiding a Loss by sacrificing pieces to secure a Draw. (Suppose you could call that ‘breaking even‘).

But, first things first, as we look at the difference between a Forced Sacrifice and a Non-Forced Sacrifice …

Chess Sacrifices Guide

Types of Sacrifice

1) Forced Sacrifice, Example
In this example, White would be forced to sacrifice his Queen, which is under attack from Black’s Queen, in order to get his King out of check.

2) Non-Forced Sacrifice, Example
In this example, White ignores his Knight (Ng5), which is under attack from Black’s h-Pawn (…h7-h6). This deliberate attempt to sacrifice the Knight is for the opportunity to Open the h-File, for the benefit of White’s Rook (Rh1), which will have clear sight all the way up to Black’s back rank, next to Black’s Castled King.

Reasons for Playing a Sacrifice

1) To Gain Position
In this example, Black attempts to sacrifice his d-Pawn, playing a Gambit Opening, to try and Gain Position for his Queen (Qd8xd5).

2) To Gain Material
In this example, White’s Queen captures Black’s Knight on f5, but is deliberately Sacrificed to enable White’s Knight to snare Black’s dark-Bishop, Rook, Queen AND King, in a Grand Fork Attack. The material gain would be that initial Black Nf5.

3) To Gain Victory
In this example, White’s Queen is deliberately sacrificed, to entice Black’s Bg4 away from its defensive duties, helping White’s light-Bishop and both Knights combine strengths to exploit weaknesses in Black’s position and the vulnerability of Black’s King, to Gain Victory.

4) To Avoid Losing
In this example, there are actually TWO Sacrifices, which help White to secure a Draw, by Stalemate, thereby Avoid Losing.