“I fear the Greeks even when bearing gifts” is a famous Latin phrase from Aeneid, a Latin epic poem written by Vergillius. The origin of the name of this tactical move is not entirely clear, but the resemblance to the Trojan Horse sounds like a pretty logical explanation. In this case, the attacking player offers a bishop sacrifice to break through the opponent’s defense and lure out their king to eventually checkmate it or at least gain a significant material advantage.
The most typical example
Learn to analyze and recognize these situations, as described in the game comments.
Lasker’s double bishop sacrifice
Unlike many 19th century sacrifices, this one is perfectly sound.
Blitz blunder
All chess players make mistakes, and not even the strongest grandmasters are immune, especially in blitz games.
The BrainKing sample
To complete the collection, I added one example from my database.
Overall, the Greek gift sacrifice is a beautiful and powerful tactic in chess. It requires a good understanding of the position and the opponent’s weaknesses, as well as the courage to take risks. However, it should be used judiciously, and only in situations where the reward outweighs the risk. Like the Trojan horse, the Greek gift sacrifice is a cunning strategy, but it should not be relied upon as the only means of victory.