Sacrifice

Intentionally giving up a piece to gain a larger tactical advantage, position, or checkmate.

The Tour

The Setup

White has built up tremendous pressure on the e-file, but Black's back rank looks relatively safe, guarded by the rook on c8 and the king.

For experienced players

A sacrifice is only a true sacrifice if you are giving up material for a non-material advantage (like an attack or a mating net). If you give up a queen but immediately win it back with a tactic, that is called a “pseudo-sacrifice” or tactical sequence.