Rook sacrifice

A rook sacrifice deliberately allows a rook to be lost in order to achieve something more valuable than keeping it. The move may open a vertical file or horizontal rank, remove a crucial defender, break the king's cover, allow a pawn to reach the last rank and become another piece, or transform the position into a favorable ending, the late phase of the game with fewer pieces.

Many rook sacrifices belong to a mating attack, an offensive whose aim is checkmate, and seek pawn shield demolition, the breakup of the pawns protecting the king. Others are positional: the rook is exchanged for a less valuable piece in return for squares, pawns, or lasting activity. A rook can also be sacrificed defensively to eliminate a threat or force a draw.

The special case called an exchange sacrifice gives a rook for a bishop or knight. Not every rook sacrifice is an exchange sacrifice: the rook may be given for a pawn, offered to draw an enemy piece away from a defensive duty, or surrendered with no immediate recovery. When compensation is not forced in the short term, it may also be a real sacrifice.