ChessA sacrifice is giving up one of your pieces on purpose to get something bigger in return. That might be checkmate, winning back more material a few moves later, or leaving the enemy king open to attack. It's the flashiest tactic there is. When you play online chess for free, giving up your queen now and then to checkmate your opponent feels fantastic.
What it looks like
Let's start with the most common one: giving up the queen for checkmate.
Why can White give away the queen? Because Black's back rank is guarded only by the rook on c8. White has two pieces on the d-file, the queen and the rook, and Black has only one piece in the way. Give one away, and the other gets in. The black king is boxed in by its own three pawns and has nowhere to go.
Real sacrifices and sham sacrifices
There are two kinds of sacrifice, and the difference is whether you can calculate it all the way.
Sham sacrifice: you get it back in a few moves
The piece you give away is sure to come back within a few moves, or it leads straight to mate. The queen sacrifice above is one. Here's another:
However Black answers the check, he can't save the queen. White spent a bishop and got a queen. You can calculate every move of a sacrifice like this, so it's called a "sham" sacrifice. Really it's a sure-profit trade.
Real sacrifice: you get time and an attack
The other kind can't be calculated to the end. What you get isn't material right away, but faster development, a stronger center, and a more exposed enemy king. The most famous example is the King's Gambit:
Real sacrifices take experience and judgment. If you get it wrong, you're just a piece down. Beginners should learn sham sacrifices first, and only go for it when they see a sacrifice they're sure to get back.
A real example: a queen sacrifice and mate in the opening
In the Philidor Defense, Black pins the white knight with a bishop and thinks the knight can't move. But White just gives the queen away:
White gives up the queen and mates the black king with just three minor pieces. If on move 5 Black had taken the knight instead of the queen, at least he wouldn't have been mated. So when your opponent offers you a piece, first check whether he has a follow-up. For the full moves, see the Philidor Defense.
How to defend
- When your opponent offers a piece, stop for a moment. Especially a big piece like a queen or rook. Ask yourself, "Why would he dare give that away?"
- Work out what checks he has after you take. Most sacrifices are followed by a check or a capture. Look carefully before you take.
- You don't have to take. If taking looks dangerous, you can decline and play a move that steadies your position instead.
- Fix your back rank and give your king a square. Lots of queen-sacrifice mates rely on the back rank. Push one pawn in front of your king and much of the danger goes away.
Practice puzzles
Show answer
1. Qg8+ Rxg8 2. Nf7# The white queen jumps to g8 with check. The king can't take her (the knight on h6 protects g8), so the rook has to take. With the rook on g8, the king is completely surrounded by its own pieces, and the knight jumps to f7. Checkmate. This is called a smothered mate.
Show answer
1. Qxe8+ Rxe8 2. Rxe8# The white queen takes the rook on e8 with check, and the rook on a8 takes back. But the white rook is right behind the queen, so it takes on e8 again, and the black king is stuck behind its own pawns. Checkmate. White gives up the queen and gets mate.
Show answer
1. Ng6+ hxg6 2. Qh3# The white knight jumps to g6 with check, offering itself to the h-pawn. The black king can't go to g8 (the bishop on c4 covers it), so it has to take. With the h-file open, the white queen goes to h3. Checkmate.
FAQ
What's the difference between a sacrifice and a blunder?
The result. A sacrifice is calculated: you give the piece away and surely get more back, or get checkmate. A blunder is something you didn't see, and the piece is simply lost. So before you sacrifice, always work out the next few moves.
Should beginners sacrifice?
Yes, practice sham sacrifices, the kind you're sure to get back within a few moves. Real sacrifices depend on experience and judgment, so watch and calculate a lot first, and try them once you're more comfortable.
When my opponent sacrifices, do I have to take?
No. First see whether he has a check or a fork after you take. If taking is dangerous, you can decline. If you've checked and it's safe, take it with confidence: he's just handed you a free piece.
Try it yourself
Sacrifices often come with decoys and deflections: give up a piece to lure an enemy piece onto a bad square, or to drag a defender away. For more tactics, go back to chess tactics. To try it for real, play chess against a computer, find a game where your opponent's back rank is weak, and see what a queen sacrifice can do.