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When to sacrifice pieces

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EmelieBarbie

Hi can I please ask at what stage of the game is it ok to start sacrificing pieces and what pieces should you never ever sacrifice? Thanks.

DenialOfNature
EmelieBarbie wrote:

Hi can I please ask at what stage of the game is it ok to start sacrificing pieces and what pieces should you never ever sacrifice? Thanks.

there is no set defination like that.. as to which pieces should or shouldnt be sacrificed, usually position suggests/dictates what to do.

if your opponent has an active/effective piece and you have a bad counterpart, trading might be a good way to balance it out.

another approach is, do not sac your pieces while attacking.. because you gonna need pieces to attack, more precisely.. to increase complexity of your attack.. on the other hand you try to trade pieces when you are defending.. to decrease the tension.

these are not set rules, just tendencies..

DenialOfNature

and there is this term: simplifying..

when you are up a piece.. or a few pawns (sometimes just one pawn) you might wanna simplify the game by trading equal pieces and remove them from the board. the idea is; after all the trades your advantage will be intensified.

imagine having an extra pawn on the far side of the board.. but there are other pieces can stop it from promoting.. if you can manage to exchange all the other pieces your pawn can march forward as there is nothing else left to stop it.

EmelieBarbie

Thanks I do get this but wow so much in this game is like "there is no set rule" which makes it hard to know what to do for the best. I am guessing these kind of things get easier the more experience you have right?

DenialOfNature

there are tons of things to talk about, learn about chess but yeah experience is the key (accumulated knowledge more precisely)

EmelieBarbie

Yes please I would love a game where you explain thanks!

ChessMasteryOfficial

Before sacrificing, calculate the variations as deeply as possible to ensure you gain sufficient compensation.

AtaChess68
When you are learning the game (rating 250) never sac unless you have a certain mate.
Los_Tenyos_Pica

My question is just cos i like to trade R for B every game does that mean i will lose every game? Just due to the blatant fact a R has more value than a B?

DenialOfNature
Los_Tenyos_Pica wrote:

My question is just cos i like to trade R for B every game does that mean i will lose every game? Just due to the blatant fact a R has more value than a B?

you will probably lose, unless you have enpugh positional compensation