Essential Chess Sacrifices [Paperback]

David Lemoir (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2004

Sacrifices are an essential part of chess. Those who never consider sacrificing will miss countless opportunities and find that promising positions repeatedly slip away. Players who do not appreciate their opponents' sacrificial possibilities will be unable to see danger signs, and find themselves on the wrong end of too many king-hunts. Rather than merely cataloguing the various possibilities and providing examples, LeMoir discusses the possible follow-ups to the sacrifices, the defensive options against them, and the positional factors that might suggest whether the sacrifice will be sound or unsound. There are many important types of chess positions that can only be played well by those who understand the thematic sacrifices that are possible.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David LeMoir is an experienced chess-player and writer. He twice won the championship of the West of England and was runner-up on four occasions. In 2000, he was champion of the English county of Norfolk. In a successful career as a business strategy consultant, he has made good use of the strategic and decision-making skills that are developed by playing chess. He has earned a reputation for writing chess books that discuss important practical chess topics with great clarity.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Gambit Publications (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1904600034
• ISBN-13: 978-1904600039
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,114,845 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thematic sacrifices, May 7, 2005

By 

Murtuza Hashim "hashimm4" (Vienna, Va United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Essential Chess Sacrifices (Paperback)

This book picks up where Lemoirs earlier book left off. The author categorizes thematic sacrifices based on the squares they occur. He starts of on the left side of the board with Nxb5 and Bxb5 sacrifices which occur in the sicilian. Then he moves on to d5 and and f5 sacrifices of the knight in the sicilian, then to Bishop or Knight sacrifices on e6 in the sicilian. Then the author moves onto Nxf7 and Nxg7 sacrifices. The book ends with Ng5 and Bg5 silent sacrifices on g5 and the Greek gift sacrifice that we have all seen Bxh7 check and the double bishop sacrifice. This book sums up all the standard sacrifices and the setup positions leading up to them that produce the sacrifices. It is a good book to read, so that you dont get caught on the wrong end of one of these setup positions. However, even Grandmasters have fallen for these standard sacrifices so you might be able to try it on your next opponent. Since this is a tactics book, most of the positions are do or die for the sacrificer instead of the positional rxc3 sacrifices you see in the sicilian.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive guide to chess sacrifices, October 9, 2005

By 

Steven Dewdney (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Chess Sacrifices (Paperback)

I have had a great deal of enjoyment playing through the sacrifices in this book. LeMoir writes in engaging style, there are loads of diagrams, and he proceeds much deeper than merely cataloguing the standard piece sacs. The setting where each sacrifice would be sound or unsound is identified, and he discussed at length possible defensive ideas, and attacking follow-ups.
Most of the games are complete (rather than starting from a diagram position). In this book that is a real bonus, as it allows the reader to put the sacrifice in the context of the opening. In their review of this book the chess specialist Chessco called this "the definitive and the BEST word on the subject" and it is hard to disagree. True, sacrifices are only part of the game of chess, but if you are looking to add axcitment to your games, then this is book to get.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book on everyday chess sacrifices, March 22, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Essential Chess Sacrifices (Paperback)

This is a comprehensive study of chess sacs that occur time and time again. Rather than analyzing brilliant sac players like Tal on a game-by-game basis, this focuses on sacs that occur on certain squares: in effect, the geography of effective sacrifices. One common example is the bishop x h7+ sac, but LeMoir covers lots of powerful storm-the-barricade plays as well as the defenses against them, the follow-ups leading to their success and the positional ideas from which they spring.

One important quibble: these are bishop and knight sacs, so ideas like the c8 rook x c3 knight in several lines of the Sicilian are not covered. Maybe Mr. LeMoir will write a sequel covering major piece sacs.

Overall, this is a refreshing and useful book, perfectly suited to intermediate players or even lower-rated players tired of seeing their sac attempts refuted.

For more on these issues at the club player level, see Attacking Technique by Crouch, Storming the Barricades by Christiansen, and LeMoir's other books -- How to Be Lucky in Chess (more about defense than attack) and How to Become a Deadly Chess Tactician.