4 edits
Today is a day everybody should remember, as I, for the first time in the history of chess, reached 2000 on RHP. To celebrate, I propose to everybody interested in chess a series of positions where I made positional strategic sacrifices (to distinguish from ugly tactical ones). For these sacrifices are one of the most interesting things to do in chess, aren't they? (I had to refrain from posting gambits, which to a certain extent is a positional sacrifice)
I would be very pleased if you 1. found them; 2. appreciated them and congratulated me 3. gave me your opinion on them. Not all of them were relevant; so be nasty, please.
I hope you'll like it and it'll encourage everybody to practice!
A classical one, to start. Black to play
- 8
- a
- 7
- b
- 6
- c
- 5
- d
- 4
- e
- 3
- f
- 2
- g
- 1
- h
| 1. | e4 | c5 |
|---|---|---|
| 2. | Ng1f3 | Nb8c6 |
| 3. | Bf1b5 | g6 |
| 4. | O-O | Bf8g7 |
| 5. | Rf1e1 | e5 |
| 6. | Bb5xc6 | bxc6 |
| 7. | c3 | d6 |
| 8. | d4 | cxd4 |
| 9. | cxd4 | Bc8g4 |
| 10. | d5 | c5 |
| 11. | h3 | Bg4d7 |
| 12. | Nb1c3 | Ng8e7 |
| 13. | Bc1g5 | O-O |
| 14. | Qd1d2 | f5 |
| 15. | exf5 | Rf8xf5 |
| 16. | Nc3e4 |
0
One I found really exciting, though I then made mistakes... White to play.
- 8
- a
- 7
- b
- 6
- c
- 5
- d
- 4
- e
- 3
- f
- 2
- g
- 1
- h
| 1. | d4 | e6 |
|---|---|---|
| 2. | c4 | Ng8f6 |
| 3. | g3 | c5 |
| 4. | Ng1f3 | cxd4 |
| 5. | Nf3xd4 | d5 |
| 6. | Bf1g2 | dxc4 |
| 7. | Qd1a4 | Nb8d7 |
| 8. | O-O | a6 |
| 9. | Qa4xc4 | Nd7c5 |
| 10. | Nb1c3 | b5 |
0
this one is probably the most dubious, but it surprisingly worked... it's not the cleanest one neither, for it's a two tempi sacrifice... White to play.
- 8
- a
- 7
- b
- 6
- c
- 5
- d
- 4
- e
- 3
- f
- 2
- g
- 1
- h
| 1. | d4 | d5 |
|---|---|---|
| 2. | c4 | e6 |
| 3. | g3 | c6 |
| 4. | Bf1g2 | Bf8d6 |
| 5. | Ng1f3 | Nb8d7 |
| 6. | O-O | h6 |
| 7. | Qd1c2 | g6 |
| 8. | Nb1c3 | f5 |
| 9. | cxd5 | exd5 |
| 10. | e4 | fxe4 |
0
same game, a bit later, white to play.
- 8
- a
- 7
- b
- 6
- c
- 5
- d
- 4
- e
- 3
- f
- 2
- g
- 1
- h
| 1. | d4 | d5 |
|---|---|---|
| 2. | c4 | e6 |
| 3. | g3 | c6 |
| 4. | Bf1g2 | Bf8d6 |
| 5. | Ng1f3 | Nb8d7 |
| 6. | O-O | h6 |
| 7. | Qd1c2 | g6 |
| 8. | Nb1c3 | f5 |
| 9. | cxd5 | exd5 |
| 10. | e4 | fxe4 |
| 11. | Nc3xe4 | Nd7f8 |
| 12. | Ne4xd6 | Qd8xd6 |
| 13. | Bc1f4 | Qd6d8 |
| 14. | Rf1e1 | Ng8e7 |
| 15. | Re1e2 | Bc8f5 |
| 16. | Qc2c5 | Nf8e6 |
0
this one is a "passive" (though conscious and voluntary) quality sacrifice... Black to play
- 8
- a
- 7
- b
- 6
- c
- 5
- d
- 4
- e
- 3
- f
- 2
- g
- 1
- h
| 1. | e4 | c5 |
|---|---|---|
| 2. | Ng1f3 | Nb8c6 |
| 3. | d4 | cxd4 |
| 4. | Nf3xd4 | Ng8f6 |
| 5. | Nb1c3 | e5 |
| 6. | Nd4b5 | d6 |
| 7. | Nc3d5 | Nf6xd5 |
| 8. | exd5 | Nc6e7 |
| 9. | c3 | Ne7f5 |
| 10. | a4 | g6 |
| 11. | g3 | Bf8g7 |
| 12. | Bf1g2 | O-O |
| 13. | O-O | a6 |
| 14. | Nb5a3 | Bc8d7 |
| 15. | Qd1b3 | b5 |
| 16. | axb5 | axb5 |
| 17. | Bc1d2 | Qd8b6 |
| 18. | Na3c2 | Rf8c8 |
| 19. | Nc2b4 | Ra8a5 |
| 20. | Nb4c6 | Bd7xc6 |
| 21. | dxc6 | Nf5e7 |
| 22. | Bd2e3 | Qb6a6 |
| 23. | Ra1d1 | Ne7f5 |
| 24. | Be3d2 | Rc8c7 |
| 25. | Bg2d5 | Rc7a7 |
| 26. | c4 | Nf5d4 |
| 27. | Qb3d3 |
0
I am not sure this passive one was completely voluntary 😀
Should White take, though? (I am black)
- 8
- a
- 7
- b
- 6
- c
- 5
- d
- 4
- e
- 3
- f
- 2
- g
- 1
- h
| 1. | e4 | c5 |
|---|---|---|
| 2. | g3 | Nb8c6 |
| 3. | Bf1g2 | g6 |
| 4. | Ng1e2 | Bf8g7 |
| 5. | d3 | d6 |
| 6. | Nb1c3 | Ng8f6 |
| 7. | O-O | O-O |
| 8. | h3 | a6 |
| 9. | a4 | Bc8d7 |
| 10. | Bc1e3 | Qd8c7 |
| 11. | Qd1d2 | Rf8b8 |
| 12. | Rf1b1 | Nc6b4 |
| 13. | Nc3a2 | Nb4xa2 |
| 14. | Ra1xa2 | b5 |
| 15. | e5 | dxe5 |
0
is this one still a strategic sacrifice? actually, it would have been if the opponent had not made mistakes... Black to play.
- 8
- a
- 7
- b
- 6
- c
- 5
- d
- 4
- e
- 3
- f
- 2
- g
- 1
- h
| 1. | b4 | e5 |
|---|---|---|
| 2. | a3 | d5 |
| 3. | Bc1b2 | Bf8d6 |
| 4. | e3 | Ng8f6 |
| 5. | c4 | c6 |
| 6. | d3 | O-O |
| 7. | Nb1d2 | Bc8g4 |
| 8. | Qd1c2 | Nb8d7 |
| 9. | Bf1e2 | Rf8e8 |
| 10. | Ng1f3 | e4 |
| 11. | dxe4 | dxe4 |
| 12. | Nf3d4 | Bg4xe2 |
| 13. | Nd4xe2 | Qd8c7 |
| 14. | Ne2g3 | Bd6xg3 |
| 15. | hxg3 | Ra8d8 |
| 16. | Rh1h4 | Nd7e5 |
| 17. | Bb2xe5 | Qc7xe5 |
| 18. | Ra1d1 | a5 |
| 19. | c5 | axb4 |
| 20. | axb4 | g5 |
| 21. | Rh4h1 | Nf6d5 |
| 22. | Qc2b3 |
0
The price of initiative... White to play.
- 8
- a
- 7
- b
- 6
- c
- 5
- d
- 4
- e
- 3
- f
- 2
- g
- 1
- h
| 1. | d4 | d5 |
|---|---|---|
| 2. | c4 | e6 |
| 3. | Nb1c3 | f5 |
| 4. | Ng1f3 | Ng8f6 |
| 5. | Bc1g5 | c6 |
| 6. | Bg5xf6 | Qd8xf6 |
| 7. | e3 | Bf8d6 |
| 8. | Bf1d3 | O-O |
| 9. | Qd1c2 | g6 |
| 10. | c5 | Bd6c7 |
| 11. | h4 | e5 |
| 12. | dxe5 | Bc7xe5 |
| 13. | Nf3xe5 | Qf6xe5 |
| 14. | O-O-O | b5 |
| 15. | h5 | Nb8a6 |
| 16. | hxg6 | hxg6 |
0
two things I observed:
- I almost always play them when I don't know what to play and have to look for "other" moves.
- Opponents quite often made mistakes when defending (which makes it worth to try, even if it is a bit uncertain!).
