Sacrifice to Attack

What this book teaches

81 problems, grouped by attacking pieces.

Unlike basic mates, the key move is often a sacrifice. Not a gift — you give a piece to open a line, block a rescue, or keep the attack from breaking.

Study this after you know basic mates. Here you practise one question: after the sacrifice, can I still mate?

What you will get

• Tell a sound sacrifice from a losing one
• Calculate both branches: they take, and they refuse
• See when a sacrifice opens a line, blocks a rescue, or buys time to attack
• In real games, sacrifice only after you have calculated — not because the book likes sacrifices

Step 1 — Ask why you must sacrifice

Don’t give a piece yet. Look at the whole board:

① Which piece would you give? What do you lose? ② What do you gain — a line, a blocked rescue, or a check that stays on? ③ If you don’t sacrifice, does the attack break?

Sacrifice only when you can answer: without it, there is no mate.

Step 2 — Calculate both if they take it

Every sacrifice has two sides:

① If they take it, can you still check / mate? ② If they refuse, is the offer a feint that forces them elsewhere? ③ After the sacrifice, which piece leads, which piece helps?

If you only see “give a piece, then check” and skip their defence — the problem is not done.

What order to study?

The book is ordered by piece combo, not by mate length. Go in order:

• Chariot + pawn, chariot + horse — few pieces, the idea of the sacrifice is clear
• Chariot + cannon, then with a pawn — sacrifice to open a cannon line or build the net
• Chariot + horse + cannon — the main part (37 problems). Don’t rush
• Chariot + horse + cannon + pawn — last

In each chapter: understand a few kinds of sacrifice. You need not memorise every move.

Three things when you solve

1. Calculate first. Open the line only when truly stuck. 2. Each time you sacrifice, ask: if they take, what is left? If they don’t? 3. When done, retell: which piece, for what, and why refusing the sacrifice kills the idea.

81 problems is not many. A few you understand beat finishing the book on autopilot.