Simple Chess: To Sac or Not To Sac?

It is not often that I get to play a piece sacrifice and it actually be the best move. Usually it is a sacrifice that works against opponents around my rating or lower yet it would never work against a much stronger player.

This time it was different. My move was the best. It was also instinctively my first choice. I had to calculate to make sure. As you will see, I needed to calculate further as I spent only 3 minutes on this move. For as critical as this move was I should have forced myself to see deeper.

If you are going to attack a king that hasn't castled it is important to keep these ideas in mind:

• Prevent the king from leaving the center.
• Open as many lines towards the king as you can, files and diagonals. 
• Bring all of your pieces into the attack. 
• Keep the opponent's pieces uncoordinated. 

Key Takeaways:

-Trust but verify your instincts when playing chess.
-When calculating a piece sacrifice force yourself to go deeper in your calculations as there could be a defensive resource you didn't expect.
-Tactics do really grow on strategy. Try not to create weak points in your position that your opponent can take advantage of. If your opponent has weaknesses then attack them.