Greek gift sacrifice

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This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

In chess, the Greek gift sacrifice or classical bishop sacrifice is a typical sacrifice of a bishop by White playing Bxh7+ or Black playing Bxh2+.

Image:chess zhor 26.png
Image:chess zver 26.png a8 rd b8 nd c8 bd d8 qd e8 f8 rd g8 kd h8 Image:chess zver 26.png
a7 pd b7 pd c7 pd d7 nd e7 f7 pd g7 pd h7 pd
a6 b6 c6 d6 e6 pd f6 g6 h6
a5 b5 c5 d5 pd e5 pl f5 g5 h5
a4 b4 bd c4 d4 pl e4 f4 g4 h4
a3 b3 c3 nl d3 bl e3 f3 nl g3 h3
a2 pl b2 pl c2 pl d2 e2 f2 pl g2 pl h2 pl
a1 rl b1 c1 bl d1 ql e1 kl f1 g1 h1 rl
Image:chess zhor 26.png
A situation where the Greek sacrifice works.

The position to the right, which might occur after the moves 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Nf3 Bb4 6.Bd3 O-O, is a simple case where the Greek gift sacrifice works. White can play 7.Bxh7+! Kxh7 8.Ng5+ and wins:

  • 8...Kh8 9.Qh5+ Kg8 10.Qh7#
  • 8...Kg8 9.Qh5 Re8 10.Qxf7+ Kh8 11.Qh5+ Kg8 12.Qh7+ Kf8 13.Qh8+ Ke7 14.Qxg7#
  • 8...Kh6 9.Nxf7+ wins the queen
  • 8...Kg6 9.h4 and there is no satisfactory way to meet the threat of 10.h5+ Kh6 (10...Kf5 11.Qf3#) 11.Nxf7+

These variations are typical of many Greek gift sacrifices, though the outcome is not always so clear-cut.

Greek gift sacrifices, or the threat of them, occur relatively frequently in play, especially at the lower levels. One of the most famous examples of the sacrifice is found in the game Edgard Colle - O'Hanlon, Nice 1930. Less commonly, a Greek gift sacrifice may be the prelude to a double bishop sacrifice, as seen in the game Lasker - Bauer, Amsterdam 1889.

The etymology of the phrase "Greek gift" in this context is not entirely clear. The obvious explanation is that it alludes to the Trojan Horse, and specifically to Virgil's famous "timeo danaos et dona ferentes" ("I fear the Greeks even when they bring gifts", Aeneid II.49). The Oxford Companion to Chess, however, suggests that one explanation is that the sacrifice often occurred in Gioachino Greco's games.

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