Would you give away Rs. 10 for a Re. 1 coin? Obviously no right? But what if you do research and realize that if you buy the Re. 1 coin today, the coin will be worth Rs. 100 in the next 3 months in the market? All you have to do is pay Rs.10 right now for the coin. Most likely, you’ll buy it, depending on how good your research is! That’s exactly what sacrifice is in chess. It’s a form of investment. You give up something right now, with the intention to get a return in the future.

Making a sacrifice requires some degree of understanding and tactical ability. You must be sharp in your calculations and be able to soundly evaluate the resulting position beforehand. External factors like risk-taking skills, courageousness, and confidence are also important. After all, you are giving up your piece so you must trust your decision! Also, sacrifices need to have an intention behind them. If not, then you can call them blunders(or bad investments!). Sacrifices are usually decisive in nature. Unlike trades where the material is balanced after exchanging pieces, sacrifices are usually done for two purposes – to get a better position or to get out of a bad position.