Chess Sacrifice Puzzles
Give up material to force checkmate or win more back. Every position comes from a real game, and every sacrifice is sound.
What is a sacrifice puzzle?
A sacrifice puzzle asks you to give away material on purpose: a pawn, a piece, even the queen. It works only if the forced sequence that follows wins more than you gave, or delivers checkmate. That makes sacrifices the hardest puzzles to see, because the first move looks like a mistake. New to the idea? Read the checkmate patterns lesson first, then come back to practise.
The 72 puzzles on this page
Every position is taken from a real game in the Lichess puzzle database (CC0). Puzzle ratings range from 611 to 2375, with a median of 1832. Ratings describe how hard the puzzle is, not your playing strength.
| Group | Puzzles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 11 | 15% |
| Intermediate | 24 | 33% |
| Advanced | 37 | 51% |
| Opening | 3 | 4% |
| Middlegame | 45 | 63% |
| Endgame | 24 | 33% |
How to solve sacrifice puzzles
- Look for sacrifices when the enemy king is short of defenders or its pawn cover is weak.
- Calculate only forcing replies after the sacrifice: checks, captures and threats. If the opponent gets a free move, the sacrifice usually fails.
- Know the target before you sacrifice: a known mating pattern, a fork, or winning the material back.
- Count the material at the end of the line, not after the first move.
Use a hint only after you have a candidate move. If you needed the solution, retry the puzzle later from memory; that is when the pattern sticks.
Frequently asked questions
What is a sacrifice in chess?
A sacrifice is deliberately giving up material to gain something bigger, such as checkmate, more material back, or a decisive attack.
How do I know if a sacrifice works?
Calculate the forcing line to the end and check every defence. If you cannot see how you win the material back or deliver mate, the sacrifice is a gamble.
What is the most famous chess sacrifice?
Queen sacrifices are the best known, such as Morphy’s finish in the Opera Game of 1858. Our guide to brilliant moves walks through it with Stockfish.
More puzzles
Fork puzzles · Pin puzzles · Mate in 3 puzzles · Skewer puzzles · Discovered attack puzzles · Deflection puzzles · Mate in 2 · Hard puzzles · All 720 puzzles. Found a tactic in your own game? Check it on the analysis board.