Sacrifice exercises

Material given up on purpose for check, mate or a decisive follow-up. Play the winning move on the board below. Each position is verified: the solution is the strongest move, and the write-up tells you exactly what it wins. Read the full sacrifice guide first if the pattern is new to you.

Solved 0 of 3 · first-try accuracy 0%

1. Exercise 1: White to play: win material.

   Position (FEN): 6r1/K3P3/2pk4/8/8/8/3R4/1r6 w - - 0 1

   8

   7

   6

   5

   4

   3

   2

   1a

   b

   c

   d

   e

   f

   g

   h

   White to play: win material.

   easy · wins ~13 pawns

   Hint 1Show solution
   Written solution

   e8=Q+ — e8=Q+ wins about 13 pawns of material by force: the pawn hits c6, g8 and Black cannot cover everything. The next best try, e8=R+, leaves the position roughly level.

2. Exercise 2: White to play: win material.

   Position (FEN): K2n1B2/7q/8/2k5/6r1/4R3/8/8 w - - 0 1

   8

   7

   6

   5

   4

   3

   2

   1a

   b

   c

   d

   e

   f

   g

   h

   White to play: win material.

   easy · wins ~9 pawns

   Hint 1Show solution
   Written solution

   Rh3+ — Rh3+ wins about 9 pawns of material by force: the rook hits h7 and Black cannot cover everything. The next best try, Kb8+, leaves the position roughly level.

3. Exercise 3: White to play: end the game.

   Position (FEN): r3r1k1/5ppp/8/8/8/8/4R1PP/4R1K1 w - - 0 1

   8

   7

   6

   5

   4

   3

   2

   1a

   b

   c

   d

   e

   f

   g

   h

   White to play: end the game.

   medium · forced mate

   Hint 1Show solution
   Written solution

   Rxe8+ — Rxe8+ Rxe8 Rxe8# is a textbook sacrifice: the first rook is thrown away purely to drag the second defender onto e8, and the doubled rook behind it delivers mate.