White to move · 2 moves · Rating 567
Find checkmate in 2 moves.
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28.Qe8+ Rxe8 29.Rxe8#
Ponderchess / Puzzles
Sacrifice puzzles
163 sacrifice puzzles from real games, rated 567 to 2700. Here are 18, from easiest to hardest.
These puzzles start by giving material away on purpose. The sacrifice pays for itself a move or two later: checkmate, a bigger win of material, or a promotion the opponent cannot stop.
Learning to sacrifice is learning to calculate past the point where you are down material. The question is never what you give up, but what your opponent has to do after accepting it.
How to solve them: Look at captures and checks that look like blunders. If a sacrifice forces the reply, follow it to the end before you reject it.
New to the idea? Read Sacrifice in chess first.
18 sacrifice puzzles to solve
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White to move · 2 moves · Rating 799
Find checkmate in 2 moves.
Show the solution
21.Rxh7+ Kxh7 22.Qh5#
Black to move · 2 moves · Rating 1128
Find checkmate in 2 moves.
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26...Ng3+ 27.hxg3 Rh5#
White to move · 3 moves · Rating 1357
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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29.Rxg7+ Kxg7 30.Ne6+ Kg8 31.Nxd8
Black to move · 3 moves · Rating 1536
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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27...Rxd6 28.Rxd6 Be5+ 29.Kh1 Bxd6
Black to move · 3 moves · Rating 1637
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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24...Qxf1+ 25.Kxf1 Ng3+ 26.Ke1 Nxe4
White to move · 3 moves · Rating 1728
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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29.Rxc3 Rxc3 30.Bb2 Kf8 31.Bxc3
White to move · 2 moves · Rating 1793
Find checkmate in 2 moves.
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23.Qxh6+ gxh6 24.Rh7#
Black to move · 4 moves · Rating 1894
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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49...Qxf3 50.Qxf3 e2 51.Qc3 e1=Q 52.Qxe1 Rxe1
White to move · 4 moves · Rating 1995
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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42.Kb7 Nd4 43.a5 Nxc2 44.a6 Nd4 45.a7
White to move · 3 moves · Rating 2122
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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47.Rb8+ Kh7 48.fxe6+ Rxc2 49.e7
Black to move · 3 moves · Rating 2207
Find checkmate in 3 moves.
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34...Rg4+ 35.Kh6 Rxh4+ 36.gxh4 Bf4#
Black to move · 3 moves · Rating 2267
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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38...Rxh3 39.Bxh3 e2 40.Rb1 Rxh3
Black to move · 4 moves · Rating 2337
Find checkmate in 4 moves.
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27...Qh2+ 28.Kf1 Qh1+ 29.Kf2 Bg3+ 30.Kxg3 Qh4#
Black to move · 4 moves · Rating 2420
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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49...f5 50.exf5 e4 51.d6 e3 52.dxc7 Kxc7
White to move · 5 moves · Rating 2506
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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15.Kd2 Re8 16.Rxg7+ Nxg7 17.Rg1 Bf8 18.Nf6+ Qxf6 19.Qxf6
Black to move · 4 moves · Rating 2611
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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18...Rxg2+ 19.Kxg2 Rg8+ 20.Bg5 Qxg5+ 21.Bg4 Bxg4
Black to move · 4 moves · Rating 2700
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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30...Re1+ 31.Kg2 Bd5+ 32.Qxd5 Re2+ 33.Kf1 Qxf6+
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Positions from the open Lichess puzzle database (CC0).