← Great Games of Chess History · Lesson 3 of 4
A sacrifice that pays
In 1852, in Berlin, Adolf Anderssen let his opponent take a knight, then gave up a rook and his queen — and checkmated three moves later. The game became known as the Evergreen Game; you can replay it on the Great Games page.
A real sacrifice is not a gamble. Anderssen gave material because what he got in return was worth more: time, open lines, and a king with no defenders nearby. He was counting, just counting something other than points.
The test of any sacrifice is the same: what do I get for it, and can my opponent refuse it? If the answer is "nothing much" or "yes, easily", keep the piece.
What makes a sacrifice sound rather than a gamble?
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