Exercise 16.1★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
16
Attacking the King · Yatish Chandra Shukla
Refuting a Sacrifice
Not every sacrifice is sound
In this lesson you will learn
- How to check a sacrifice calmly instead of panicking
- Accept or decline? The key questions
- Choosing the right king move after ♗xh7+ and ♘g5+
- Giving material back to kill the attack
Every board on this page is live. Move the pieces by tapping or dragging, click any move in the lines to see that position, and press ↺ to start again.
16.1 Don't Panic
When your opponent sacrifices a piece next to your king, your first feeling is fear. But many sacrifices — especially in club games — are simply wrong. The defender who keeps calm and calculates often ends up a piece ahead with a safe king.
The method is the same as for any calculation: list the candidate moves (usually: accept, decline, or a different king move), and for each one look at the opponent's most forcing replies. Do not stop at the first scary check — look one move further and see whether the attacker really has a follow-up.
16.2 Where Should the King Go?
In the Greek Gift (♗xh7+ ♔xh7 ♘g5+) the defender must choose between ♔g8, ♔g6, ♔h6 and ♔h8. As we saw in Chapter 8, the answer depends on details: can the white queen reach h5 or g4 at once? Is there a black piece that can cover h7? Can the king walk forward safely, or will it be hunted? Always check every king move, not just the most natural one.
NoteA sacrifice is refuted when the attacker runs out of good checks and threats. Count: after the sacrifice, how many pieces can the attacker bring into the attack in the next two moves?
LessonAccept a sacrifice when you can calculate that the attack runs out. Decline it when accepting walks into mate. And when in doubt, give material back to break the attack.
16.3 Worked Examples
In each example a sacrifice has just been played. Find the defence that refutes it.
Diagram 16.1Black to move
Example 16.1
Black to move. How do you refute the sacrifice?
Find the key move.
Solution. 1...♗xg5 2.♕h5+ ♗h6 3.c3 — Black beats off the attack and keeps the extra material.
Diagram 16.2Black to move
Example 16.2
Black to move. How do you refute the sacrifice?
Find the key move.
Solution. 1...♔xh7 2.c3 ♖h8 3.♕e3 — Black beats off the attack and keeps the extra material.
Diagram 16.3Black to move
Example 16.3
Black to move. How do you refute the sacrifice?
Find the key move.
Solution. 1...♔xh7 2.♗g5 ♕e8 3.c3 — Black beats off the attack and keeps the extra material.
Diagram 16.4Black to move
Example 16.4
Black to move. How do you refute the sacrifice?
Find the key move.
Solution. 1...♔xh7 2.♗g5 f6 3.exf6 — Black beats off the attack and keeps the extra material.
Diagram 16.5Black to move
Example 16.5
Black to move. How do you refute the sacrifice?
Find the key move.
Solution. 1...♗xg5 2.♕h5+ ♔g8 3.♗xg5 — Black beats off the attack and keeps the extra material.
Diagram 16.6Black to move
Example 16.6
Black to move. How do you refute the sacrifice?
Find the key move.
Solution. 1...♔g8 2.dxc5 ♘cxe5 3.♗f4 — Black beats off the attack and keeps the extra material.
Remember
- Many sacrifices are wrong. Stay calm and calculate.
- List every king move and every defence, not just the natural one.
- The attack is refuted when the checks and threats run out.
- Giving material back is a powerful defensive weapon.
Exercises · Lesson 16
In every puzzle your opponent has sacrificed material. Find the move that refutes the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.2★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.3★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.4★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.5★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.6★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.7★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.8★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.9★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.10★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.11★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.12★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.13★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.14★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.15★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.16★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.17★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.18★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.19★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.20★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.21★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.22★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.23★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.
Exercise 16.24★★★ · Find the move
Black to move
Refute the sacrifice.