<p>Some sacrifices are also instinctive or simply based on judging the position and the results can be seen much later, after a few moves. <br /><br />However there are also sacrifices which are made more in desperation than in calculation. <br /><br />The general tendency of amateurs or sometimes even Master’s is to try and bluff in a position which is not going your way.<br /><br />In the game which follows, the players fight more or less on equal terms, till the 21st move when Black suddenly decides to sacrifice his rook for the knight, more in speculation than calculation. <br /><br />The resulting loss is immediate as this sacrifice backfires and Black achieves nothing from it.<br /><br />White: Christopher Ward (2473) – Alexander Shneider (2551) <br />Monarch Assurance, Port Erin, 1999<br />Trompowsky Opening<br />1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 <br />The Trompowsky Opening<br />2. ..d5 3.Bxf6 <br />Deciding to exchange rather than retreat<br />3. ..exf6 4.e3 f5 <br />If 4...Bd6 5.c4 dxc4 6.Bxc4 0–0 7.Nc3 c6 8.Qf3 f5 <br />5.Bd3 <br />If 5.Nf3 Qd6 6.Nbd2 Be6 7.Bd3 Nd7 8.0–0 g6 9.c4 Bg7 <br />5...Bd6 6.Nf3 0–0 7.0–0 <br />Both have opted to castle early<br />7. ..g6 8.Nbd2<br />If 8.c4 dxc4 9.Bxc4 c5<br />8...Nd7 9.c4 c6 <br />If 9...dxc4 10.Nxc4 Be7 11.Qc2<br />10.cxd5 cxd5 11.Qb3 Nf6 12.Ne5 <br />A strong central square to anchor, If 12.Nb1 Ne4 13.Rc1 Re8 14.Nc3 Nxc3 15.Rxc3 f4 16.exf4 Bxf4 17.g3 Bh6 with a balanced position <br />12...Qe7 <br />If 12...Bxe5 13.dxe5 Ne4 14.Rad1 (14.Bxe4 dxe4 15.Rfd1) 14...Nc5 15.Qc2 is better for White<br />13.Ndf3 Be6 14.Rfc1 <br />Moving onto the open file<br />14. ..Ne4 <br />Black too wants to stay on the central square. If 14...Nd7 15.Rc2 (15.Qxb7 Nxe5 16.Qxe7 Nxf3+) 15...Bxe5 16.dxe5 Nc5 17.Qa3 b6 18.Nd4 is better for White <br />15.Bf1 g5 <br />Black could have also tried to contest for the open file with 15. ..Rac8<br />16.Rc2 f4<br />Black wants to open up proceedings on the King side but this move weakens his King side. <br />He could have tried 16...g4 <br />17.Ne1 Bxe5 <br />18.dxe5 d4 <br />19.Qd3 dxe3 20.Qxe3 f6<br />17.exf4 gxf4 18.Ne1 f6 19.N5d3 Rac8 20.f3 <br />He wants to dislodge the knight<br />20. ..Ng5 21.Nc5 Rxc5<br /><br /></p>.<p>Diagram 1<br /><br />Black decides to sacrifice the exchange which is difficult to understand. <br />The position was not to his liking and he tries to bluff his way out, hoping for some respite but he now remains simply material down. <br />If 21...Bxc5 22.dxc5 Rxc5 23.Qa3 Rc7 (23...b6 24.Nd3 Rc7 25.Rxc7 Qxc7 26.Rc1) 24.Qxa7 Rxc2 25.Nxc2 also result in a better position for White<br />22.dxc5 Bxc5+ 23.Kh1 Be3 24.Rd1 Nf7 <br />If 24...d4 25.Bc4<br />25.Nd3 d4 26.Qb5 b6 27.Nb4 <br />A good move!<br />27. ..Nd6 28.Qh5 <br />Suddenly swinging to the King side<br />28. ..Nf5 29.Bc4 Bxc4 30.Rxc4 <br />Things are totally in White’s favour now<br />30...Qe5 31.Qg4+ Kh8 <br />32.Nd3 Qb5 33.b3 <br />Playing solidly<br />33. ..Rg8 34.Qh3 Qd5 35.Rc2 Rg6 36.Nf2 <br />If 36.Rc8+ Rg8 (36...Kg7 37.Rc7+ Kf8 38.Qxh7) <br />37.Rxg8+ Kxg8 38.Qg4+ Kh8 39.Nxf4 also win for White<br />36...Rh6 37.Qg4 Ng3+ 38.Kg1 f5 39.Qg5<br />More accurate is 39.Rc8+<br />39...Rg6 40.Qh4 d3 41.Rxd3 Ne2+ and Black resigned as the King simply moves to 42.Kf1 or 42.Kh1and there is nothing he can do to hang on.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Diagram 2<br /><br />White to play and win<br />New game<br />1.Re6+ Kf7<br />If 1...Kd8 2.Ra5 Qf3+ 3.Rd5+ and White wins<br /> 2.Rf5+ Kxe6 3.Rxf8 and Black is lost.</p>
<p>Some sacrifices are also instinctive or simply based on judging the position and the results can be seen much later, after a few moves. <br /><br />However there are also sacrifices which are made more in desperation than in calculation. <br /><br />The general tendency of amateurs or sometimes even Master’s is to try and bluff in a position which is not going your way.<br /><br />In the game which follows, the players fight more or less on equal terms, till the 21st move when Black suddenly decides to sacrifice his rook for the knight, more in speculation than calculation. <br /><br />The resulting loss is immediate as this sacrifice backfires and Black achieves nothing from it.<br /><br />White: Christopher Ward (2473) – Alexander Shneider (2551) <br />Monarch Assurance, Port Erin, 1999<br />Trompowsky Opening<br />1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 <br />The Trompowsky Opening<br />2. ..d5 3.Bxf6 <br />Deciding to exchange rather than retreat<br />3. ..exf6 4.e3 f5 <br />If 4...Bd6 5.c4 dxc4 6.Bxc4 0–0 7.Nc3 c6 8.Qf3 f5 <br />5.Bd3 <br />If 5.Nf3 Qd6 6.Nbd2 Be6 7.Bd3 Nd7 8.0–0 g6 9.c4 Bg7 <br />5...Bd6 6.Nf3 0–0 7.0–0 <br />Both have opted to castle early<br />7. ..g6 8.Nbd2<br />If 8.c4 dxc4 9.Bxc4 c5<br />8...Nd7 9.c4 c6 <br />If 9...dxc4 10.Nxc4 Be7 11.Qc2<br />10.cxd5 cxd5 11.Qb3 Nf6 12.Ne5 <br />A strong central square to anchor, If 12.Nb1 Ne4 13.Rc1 Re8 14.Nc3 Nxc3 15.Rxc3 f4 16.exf4 Bxf4 17.g3 Bh6 with a balanced position <br />12...Qe7 <br />If 12...Bxe5 13.dxe5 Ne4 14.Rad1 (14.Bxe4 dxe4 15.Rfd1) 14...Nc5 15.Qc2 is better for White<br />13.Ndf3 Be6 14.Rfc1 <br />Moving onto the open file<br />14. ..Ne4 <br />Black too wants to stay on the central square. If 14...Nd7 15.Rc2 (15.Qxb7 Nxe5 16.Qxe7 Nxf3+) 15...Bxe5 16.dxe5 Nc5 17.Qa3 b6 18.Nd4 is better for White <br />15.Bf1 g5 <br />Black could have also tried to contest for the open file with 15. ..Rac8<br />16.Rc2 f4<br />Black wants to open up proceedings on the King side but this move weakens his King side. <br />He could have tried 16...g4 <br />17.Ne1 Bxe5 <br />18.dxe5 d4 <br />19.Qd3 dxe3 20.Qxe3 f6<br />17.exf4 gxf4 18.Ne1 f6 19.N5d3 Rac8 20.f3 <br />He wants to dislodge the knight<br />20. ..Ng5 21.Nc5 Rxc5<br /><br /></p>.<p>Diagram 1<br /><br />Black decides to sacrifice the exchange which is difficult to understand. <br />The position was not to his liking and he tries to bluff his way out, hoping for some respite but he now remains simply material down. <br />If 21...Bxc5 22.dxc5 Rxc5 23.Qa3 Rc7 (23...b6 24.Nd3 Rc7 25.Rxc7 Qxc7 26.Rc1) 24.Qxa7 Rxc2 25.Nxc2 also result in a better position for White<br />22.dxc5 Bxc5+ 23.Kh1 Be3 24.Rd1 Nf7 <br />If 24...d4 25.Bc4<br />25.Nd3 d4 26.Qb5 b6 27.Nb4 <br />A good move!<br />27. ..Nd6 28.Qh5 <br />Suddenly swinging to the King side<br />28. ..Nf5 29.Bc4 Bxc4 30.Rxc4 <br />Things are totally in White’s favour now<br />30...Qe5 31.Qg4+ Kh8 <br />32.Nd3 Qb5 33.b3 <br />Playing solidly<br />33. ..Rg8 34.Qh3 Qd5 35.Rc2 Rg6 36.Nf2 <br />If 36.Rc8+ Rg8 (36...Kg7 37.Rc7+ Kf8 38.Qxh7) <br />37.Rxg8+ Kxg8 38.Qg4+ Kh8 39.Nxf4 also win for White<br />36...Rh6 37.Qg4 Ng3+ 38.Kg1 f5 39.Qg5<br />More accurate is 39.Rc8+<br />39...Rg6 40.Qh4 d3 41.Rxd3 Ne2+ and Black resigned as the King simply moves to 42.Kf1 or 42.Kh1and there is nothing he can do to hang on.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Diagram 2<br /><br />White to play and win<br />New game<br />1.Re6+ Kf7<br />If 1...Kd8 2.Ra5 Qf3+ 3.Rd5+ and White wins<br /> 2.Rf5+ Kxe6 3.Rxf8 and Black is lost.</p>
