Sacrifice chess puzzles
20 sacrifice puzzles from real games, ordered from easy to hard. Each has a hint and the full solution.
What is a sacrifice in chess?
A sacrifice gives up material on purpose to gain something bigger: a mate, more material back, or a decisive attack.
How to spot a sacrifice
Sacrifices work when they are forcing. Look for captures with check or threats of mate near the enemy king, and calculate every reply before you give anything away.
Learn it first: Candidate moves · Attacking the castled king · Static vs dynamic advantages · Positional sacrifices · Attack and defence at master level
Sacrifice chess puzzles
Puzzle 1: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 20... Bxf3.
Puzzle rating 690
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, sacrifice, kingside attack
Show solution
21. Qe8+ Rxe8 22. Rxe8#
FEN: r5k1/pp3pp1/n2p1q1p/2pP4/2P5/P1NB1b2/1P2QP2/4R1K1 w - - 0 21
Puzzle 2: Black to move and mate in 3
Black to move and mate in 3. The opponent just played 24. Bxf8.
Puzzle rating 1082
Hint
Theme: mate in 3, back-rank mate, sacrifice
Show solution
24... Qxf2+ 25. Kh1 Qf1+ 26. Rxf1 Rxf1#
FEN: 3Q1B1k/1p3r1p/p5p1/2P2q2/1P2R3/P7/5PPP/R5K1 b - - 0 24
Puzzle 3: Black to move and mate in 3
Black to move and mate in 3. The opponent just played 33. Kg1.
Puzzle rating 1174
Hint
Theme: mate in 3, smothered mate, discovered check
Show solution
33... Nh3+ 34. Kh1 Qg1+ 35. Rxg1 Nf2#
FEN: 2Q5/6pp/p4pk1/1p2p3/3q4/1P4P1/P4nBP/5RK1 b - - 5 33
Puzzle 4: Black to move and mate in 2
Black to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 31. Rxf2.
Puzzle rating 1332
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, back-rank mate, X-ray attack
Show solution
31... Qf1+ 32. Rxf1 Rxf1#
FEN: 5r1k/p4r1p/q7/3R3Q/1P4p1/P7/5RPP/1B5K b - - 0 31
Puzzle 5: Black to move and mate in 2
Black to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 26. Rg2.
Puzzle rating 1432
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, Pillsbury’s mate, attraction (decoy)
Show solution
26... Rxh3+ 27. Kxh3 Rh8#
FEN: 1r5r/3k2p1/1p1p2p1/4pp2/2PP2P1/1P1P1P1P/PB3bRK/R7 b - - 2 26
Puzzle 6: Black to move and mate in 2
Black to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 29. Qb6.
Puzzle rating 1546
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, attraction (decoy), sacrifice
Show solution
29... Qxf1+ 30. Kxf1 Rd1#
FEN: 3r3k/8/1Q4np/p3b3/P3P1p1/4BpPq/1P3P1P/5RKB b - - 2 29
Puzzle 7: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 27. c4.
Puzzle rating 1659
Hint
Theme: deflection, sacrifice, queenside attack
Show solution
27... Be4+ 28. Qxe4 Qxa2+ 29. Kc1 Qxa1+
FEN: r2r4/1bpB3p/1p3k2/4n3/2P4P/qP6/P3Q3/BK1R2R1 b - - 0 27
Puzzle 8: Black to move and mate in 3
Black to move and mate in 3. The opponent just played 25. Re2.
Puzzle rating 1719
Hint
Theme: mate in 3, Opera mate, attraction (decoy)
Show solution
25... Qxf1+ 26. Kxf1 Rd1+ 27. Re1 Rxe1#
FEN: 3r2k1/1Q3ppp/p4q2/8/4P3/2P1B1bP/PP2R1P1/5BK1 b - - 1 25
Puzzle 9: Black to move and mate in 4
Black to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 26. Re1.
Puzzle rating 1806
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, sacrifice, middlegame tactic
Show solution
26... Rxg3+ 27. fxg3 Qxg3+ 28. Kf1 Rh1+ 29. Ng1 Qxg1#
FEN: 2k4r/ppp5/4Rpq1/3p4/1P1P1p2/2P2NPr/P3QPK1/4R3 b - - 1 26
Puzzle 10: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 20... Qd7.
Puzzle rating 1840
Hint
Theme: sacrifice, queenside attack, middlegame tactic
Show solution
21. Rxa6 Qxb5 22. Ra8+ Kd7 23. Rxd8+ Rxd8 24. cxb5
FEN: 2kr3r/1ppq1pp1/n2p4/1Q2p2p/2P1P3/2P1PP1P/7K/RN3R2 w - - 2 21
Puzzle 11: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 18. Ne5.
Puzzle rating 1923
Hint
Theme: sacrifice, queenside attack, middlegame tactic
Show solution
18... Rxc3+ 19. bxc3 Qa3+ 20. Kc2 Qxa2+
FEN: 5rk1/pp2qppp/2r1p3/3pN3/3Pn1P1/2PQ3P/PP3P2/2KR1R2 b - - 1 18
Puzzle 12: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 41... Nf3.
Puzzle rating 1995
Hint
Theme: sacrifice, quiet move, advanced pawn
Show solution
42. Kb7 Nd4 43. a5 Nxc2 44. a6 Nd4 45. a7
FEN: 8/5p1p/K3p1p1/2k5/Pp2PP2/1P3n2/2B5/8 w - - 2 42
Puzzle 13: White to move and mate in 4
White to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 31... Nc5.
Puzzle rating 2063
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, fork, double check
Show solution
32. Ng6+ Kxh7 33. Nf8+ Kg8 34. Qh7+ Kxf8 35. Qh8#
FEN: 2r4k/4qrpB/3p3p/2nPp3/p4N2/3Q2P1/P4P1P/4R1K1 w - - 6 32
Puzzle 14: White to move and mate in 3
White to move and mate in 3. The opponent just played 31... hxg4.
Puzzle rating 2153
Hint
Theme: mate in 3, sacrifice, middlegame tactic
Show solution
32. Rd7+ Bxd7 33. Rxd7+ Ke8 34. Nd6#
FEN: 1rbn1r2/1p2k1p1/pNnR1p2/4p3/2N1P1p1/4K2P/B4P2/3R4 w - - 0 32
Puzzle 15: Black to move and mate in 4
Black to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 39. Kg1.
Puzzle rating 2226
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, attraction (decoy), sacrifice
Show solution
39... Bh2+ 40. Kxh2 g3+ 41. fxg3 Qxg3+ 42. Kh1 Qxh4#
FEN: Q7/5p1k/1B1b2p1/1Q1p2r1/6pP/5q2/5P2/5RK1 b - - 4 39
Puzzle 16: White to move and mate in 5
White to move and mate in 5. The opponent just played 29... Rd7.
Puzzle rating 2308
Hint
Theme: pin, attraction (decoy), sacrifice
Show solution
30. Bxg7+ Rxg7 31. Rf8+ Rg8 32. Qe5+ Rg7 33. Rxg8+ Kxg8 34. Qe8#
FEN: 6rk/p2rQ1pp/1p6/2p5/P6P/6P1/3qPR1K/B7 w - - 1 30
Puzzle 17: White to move and win
Puzzle 18: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 35... Ne6.
Puzzle rating 2413
Hint
Theme: sacrifice, endgame tactic
Show solution
36. Be8 Nxd8 37. Bd7
FEN: 2qB2k1/1p2Qp1p/4nPp1/1B1p2P1/p7/1bP4P/1P6/1K6 w - - 4 36
Puzzle 19: White to move and mate in 5
White to move and mate in 5. The opponent just played 9... Bxd1.
Puzzle rating 2466
Hint
Theme: sacrifice, attacking f2/f7, opening tactic
Show solution
10. Bxf7+ Ke7 11. Bg5+ Kd6 12. Ne4+ Kxe5 13. f4+ Kf5 14. Ng3+ Kg4 15. Bh5#
FEN: r2qkb1r/ppp2ppp/1n6/4N3/3n4/1BNP4/PPP2PPP/R1Bb1RK1 w kq - 0 10
Puzzle 20: White to move and win
White to move and win. The opponent just played 15... g6.
Puzzle rating 2587
Hint
Theme: deflection, sacrifice, attacking f2/f7
Show solution
16. Nb6 Qxb6 17. Qxf7+
FEN: r1b1kb1r/1p2pp1p/p3q1p1/2p5/2N2Q2/2P5/PP4PP/R1B2RK1 w kq - 0 16