Shogi glossary
Sacrifice
Japanese: 捨て駒
In shogi, a sacrifice (sute-goma) is giving up a piece on purpose to gain something bigger: a faster mate, a broken castle, an open line or a better square. Drops make attacks quick, so sacrifices appear in almost every endgame.
Giving up a piece on purpose to gain something bigger.
Common types
Mating sacrifices drag the king or a defender onto a square where mate follows. For example, a gold dropped on 5b may be captured by a defending gold, but that capture lets your silver take on 5b and promote with mate. Castle-breaking sacrifices give a cheap piece for a key defender: a tokin traded for the silver next to the king is a bargain, since the opponent receives only a pawn. Pawn sacrifices, such as tapping and joining pawns, cost almost nothing and pull enemy pieces out of position.
The hidden cost
Every sacrificed piece goes into the opponent's hand. If the attack fails, the piece you gave away can come back as a drop next to your own king, so an unsound sacrifice hurts twice. Before giving anything up, check that the follow-up really works.
Where to practice
Mate problems (tsume shogi) are full of sacrifices, because every attacking move must be check and the shortest route often starts by giving a piece away.
FAQ
Why do shogi players sacrifice so often?
Material lost in shogi is not gone; it changes sides. In the endgame only the race to mate counts, so trading a piece for a move or two of speed is frequently worth it.
Related
Terms:
Lessons: Counting Attackers and Defenders · The Boat Castle and Breaking Castles · Pawn Techniques: Dangling and Joining Pawns
I don't do defense. Hope you brought a castle!
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