Chess Lesson # 126: Positional Pawn Sacrifices

In Chess, sacrificing material is a fascinating way to try to win! However, many of us do it as part of a quick combination to deliver checkmate or win our material back with interest. In this lesson (#126), we will learn when it is okay to sacrifice a pawn in order to acquire a better position and then capitalize on it little by little.

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00:00 Getting started with Positional Pawn Sacrifices in Chess
00:50 When to do a positional pawn sacrifice in the middlegame
02:40 Mikhail Tal's positional pawn sacrifice
05:53 2nd exercise about positional pawn sacrifice
08:10 Rudolf Spielmann's positional pawn sacrifice
18:56 Bent Larsen's positional pawn sacrifice
24:02 Mihail Marin's positional pawn sacrifice
27:06 Homework exercise about positional pawn sacrifice

Games analyzed in this lesson (#126):

Learn how to play Chess the right way from beginner to master level. National Master Robert Ramirez will take you up the pyramid by following a proven Chess training program he has been improving and implementing for over 10 years.

Benefits of Playing Chess:
​- Promotes brain growth
- Increases problem-solving skills
- It exercises both sides of the brain
- Raises your IQ
- Sparks your creativity
- Teaches planning and foresight
- Teaches patience and concentration
- Optimizes memory improvement
- Improves recovery from stroke or disability
- Helps treat ADHD

Chess is an intellectual battle where players are exposed to numerous mental processes such as analysis, attention to detail, synthesis, concentration, planning and foresight. Psychological factors are also present on and off the board; playing Chess stimulates our imagination and creativity. Every single move a player makes is the result of a deep analysis based on the elements presented on the battlefield.

Chess in its essence teaches us psychological, sociological and even moral values. In a Chess game, both players start with the same amount of material and time. The fact that the white pieces move first is considered to be practically irrelevant —especially because a player typically plays one game as white and one game as black. Consequently, the final result of the battle solely depends on each player. It doesn’t matter if you win by taking advantage of your opponent’s mistakes or by simply avoiding mistakes yourself. Truth is that Chess is an extremely individual sport and our defeats can only be blamed on ourselves and no one else. And this, in the end, only benefits us because we learn to be and feel responsible for our actions and never come up with excuses to justify ourselves.

We also learn that when it comes to our victories on the board, our opponent's mistakes play a more significant role than our own skills. Let’s not forget that a Chess game without any mistakes would be a draw. This way, Chess provides us with another valuable life lesson: be humble at all times.

About National Master Robert Ramirez:

With an outstanding background as a professional Chess player and over 8 years of teaching experience, Robert Ramirez brings both his passion and his expertise to the board, helping you believe & achieve!

Robert Ramirez was introduced to the fascinating world of Chess when he was 5 years old and has participated in prestigious tournaments such as the World Open Chess Tournament and the Pan American Intercollegiate Team Championships. Thanks to his performance, he has earned his National Master title from the United States Chess Federation.

Currently, NM Ramirez and his carefully selected team teach at several private schools in the counties of Miami-Dade and Broward and they also offer private lessons. He says the key to their success as Chess coaches is their ability to adapt to every student and to make lessons fun and interesting for students and even their family members.

[NMRobertRamirez]

Hello guys! Here is the answer to the homework exercise. The rest of the games are in the description fro you to review 👍😎💪

[fredbanon]

I enjoyed this strategic lesson, thank you Robert 👍🇨🇵

[pavelborisenko]

The very first patterns that came to mind (answering the question on 02:50, Tal's game):
1) d6 is a great future outpost for the knight
2) Pawn on c6 is pinned
3) Bishop pair and queen have a good potential for the attack on black's king
4) Developing a queen will connect the rooks.

UPD: woohoo, the knight was the first thing I noticed :)

[vidushaka]

Sir I wish I could convey how helpful your videos are.... I really appreciate your efforts and hardwork. Please upload more videos so that amateurs like us can learn from them.
Wish you a nice day ahead!

[manuelfuentes]

3:05 yes coach Ne4 with outpost on d6 came to mind.
But sacrificing the pawn on e5 never came to mind...

[Hassy]

Homework: I came up with my 3 cadidate moves and made a decision, then looked at the game. As a very low rated player I cannot fathom trading the rook for the Bishop, so my thoughts were mostly surrounding playing in the middle, with candidate moves of: c4, Be3 or e6. c4 I want opponent to take to 3x his pawns, but they prolly won't do that. So then Be3 I liked cause I want to pressure the weak pawn on c5 and induce the Queen out to protect it, but, black can also just push e6 to defend. So I liked e6 myself, black will take with Bxe6 (thus blocking his pawn and blocking in his bishop). Then I go with Be3 and now the only way I see for black to defend the pawn is Qb6. I'd continue to add pressure with b4. I don't think black can do much to save the pawn now and I'll be able to take it next move with tempo on the Queen. After that, my knight will also have a home in the middle on either e5 or d4 and I'll bring my queen out to the king side eventually (especially if I end up using Ne5, I'll look for black to try f6, then my Qh5+... g6 to block can be met with Kxg6)

[michavanderstraeten]

“Dear Roberto, I was thinking of using the queen on f3 to attack the pawn on c6, a small advantage if the queen is taken and I recapture with bishop g2-c6.”

[Countdown]

Thank you so much sir for your hard work. It never fails to impress. As a suggestion, please can you release videos (in the future) about endgame technique such as how to face a knight vs bishop endgame? Just a suggestion sir😊

[danomaly]

Second position: I’m thinking off the bat based on the first position we went over is Ke4, maybe Bg5 first threatening to take the rook and I feel I can creat weaknesses from that position in the near future but definitely want the knight at a good outpost. Maybe even Be3 controlling more of the center taking away good squares for black.

[portalthunder]

In Salo Landau vs Rudolf spielmann, why did black not take white bishop with pawn gxf4?

[angelojones]

Why sacrifice the rook if Knight at c3 could have achieve the same with Rook being ready to attack in next move?

[servantofallah]

Hi robert, i'm stuck at 2100 puzzle rating since few months. i've been trying a lot to increase it but it Isn't going my way. What's the way to improve my tactical vision??

[mirokokenov]

Homework: e6 followed by Ne5, then Qh5 and we win a rook or checkmate the black king. Rob where can we see the answer?

[dudator]

Coach i am on lesson 19 can i still watch it or just continue from 20

[vijyantmehrotra]

Doing a sacrifice is a difficult decision

[mirokokenov]

1st position: trade the dark square bishops and get the knight to d6 or capitalise on the isolated pawn on c6