The Greek Gift Sacrifice | Chess Middlegames

The bishop sacrifice on h7 (or h2), also known as the Greek gift sacrifice, is one of the most thematic sacrifices in all of chess.

Timeo danaos et dona ferentes, Aeneid (II, 49)
(Beware of Greeks bearing gifts)

When it comes to learning and improving your middle game play, pattern recognition is one of the best ways to do that. That is why I will try to cover as many thematic attacking, tactical or positional patterns in this series, starting with the Greek Gift!

The Greek Gift is a nickname given to the sacrifices on h7/h2. The name should imply that the bishop should not be taken (even though you lose all the same if you don’t), referring to the episode from the Trojan war, in which the Greek army was hidden in the horse the Greeks gave Trojans as a peaceful gift. The sacrifice is often just as cunning and as subtle, hence the name.

It most often includes the cooperation of bishop, knight and queen, but can often work without the knight, which can be replaced by a rook or the second bishop entering the battlefield.

During real games, the situation will not be as simple as in the textbook examples in which the perfect position is set up. You will have to calculate the consequences of Bxh7 in depth, because (as seen in the example where Yasser Seirawan magnificently survived the gift) you could be in trouble and end up a piece down for not much otherwise.

Once you know the pattern, make sure you don’t end up wasting too much time during real games trying to get it to work. I have done that once, and all I got was 45 minutes less on the clock. Accept the fact that, even though it might look tempting and good, sometimes it just doesn’t work!

#chess #greekgift

[rickmiller]

this is quickly becoming my favorite Chess YouTube channel 🤓

[ironwill]

Great video. I think videos like this that are less about specific lines and more about pattern recognition in games are invaluable to chess fundamentals. Very well done Hanging Pawns.

[barry]

"It's always wrong not to take the bishop." Fast forward to his most recent video where his opponent correctly doesn't take. I guess nothing is ever absolute. Love the videos! Keep it up.

[dpyne]

Just wanted to thank you for this video. I've won two games recently using this tactic. It was very satisfying and the win was made possible because of your video. Thank you.

[TheChessViking]

4:42 Qxf7-h5-h8xg7#
7:14 0-0-0 probably best but I was attracted to h5 with the idea of Nf7+ then Qg6 and Ng5...black prob must give up the Queen but gets some material back.
11:49 ...Bf3 is a nice move. It's more of a blockading sacrifice, not allowing white to move the f2 pawn to create luft and the Queen defends on the 2nd rank
13:14 Nice example of double bishop sac, Lasker vs Bauer of course the most famous example of same pattern.

[chessjourney]

You repeat positions which really helps to learn.

[glennwilkinson]

This is the best explanation of the Greek gift I’ve come across on YouTube, thank you.

[babajidebotoku]

I watched this video last night and went to bed. This morning my second game I saw the perfect set up for this while playing black. Thank you so much

[sven]

Maybe someone already commented this, but at 11:08, the move Rf6 after Kxg2 is actually a losing move for black (engine gives +10). The point is that it gives white time to give the king a getaway route, by playing Rg1, vacating the f1 square. After white takes the bishop on g2, black can instead play Qg4+, forcing the king to the h-file, at which point black has time for the rooklift and mate is unstoppable.

[riccardodeamicis]

Ciao Stjepan very nice video ! I think yours is one of the best channels for completeness and detail. I just wanted to point out that the bishop sacrifice has nothing to do with the trojan horse (Greece), but it is a combination that was first played in 1620 by the Italian chess player Gioacchino Greco (Greco is a surname). The surname Greco in the english world has been translated into greek, but it has nothing to do with it. Ciao !

[thegorn]

Alekhine gave two Greek gifts. So generous!

[dyaco]

I am rated 1500 and this video helped me improve my rating. Thank you!

[pcxcado]

Thank you so much for making such good videos! I’m new to chess I’m currently 900. I’ve gone up 200 points in 4 days after watching your channel. Thank you! X

[lars-christianheinz]

Thanks for this (and all the other great) video. The way you are teaching is just marvelous. It is evident, and the topics of the individual videos are well chosen. I learned a lot already.

[petrosstefanidis]

It's funny how I got this video in my feed right after playing a very similar game. Next time I will try the greek gift!

[fernanrl]

Thanks Stjepan!!! Great video, as usual :)

[threethrushes]

Ah, my favourite.

I have slaughtered many opponents sacrificing my bishop in the London System.

Muahahaha!

[rizka]

One thing always bothers me with the name "Greek gift". In Troy they gifted a horse, yet in chess you gift a bishop. Makes no sense!

Thank you for everything you do btw. This channel is beyond awesome.

[landochabod]

Pedantic here. The Trojan Horse is not mentioned in the Iliad, that's a common misconception. It is mentioned in the Odyssey and the Aeneid.

Also, I'm glad I found this channel. I'm new to chess and I find it complements well with Agadmator's analyses of famous games.

Cheers :)

[SCthatsMe]

I love sacing all my pieces for this mating pattern, every opponent sits there, sucks their teeth, sighs, and resigns hahaha ty again for the video!