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Tactic

Sacrifice

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

Starting position

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.

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Move sequences and interactive tour paths for Sacrifice

Starting Position (FEN): 2r3k1/5ppp/8/8/8/8/4Q1PP/4R1K1 w - - 0 1

The Sacrifice

  • 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.
  • Qe8+: The Sacrifice - White deliberately sacrifices their most valuable piece, throwing the queen directly onto a square where she can easily be captured.
  • Rxe8: Taking the Bait - Black has no choice but to capture the checking queen with their rook. But in doing so, the rook abandons its defense of the 8th rank.
  • Rxe8#: The Payoff - White's remaining rook slides up to deliver a devastating back-rank checkmate. The queen was sacrificed, but winning the game is the ultimate payoff.
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.

See also:Back-Rank Mate·Deflection

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