Smash the castle
Bxh7+/Bxh2+ and gxf themes to rip open a castled king when you have development and support.
Castle-busting sacrifices
Thematic sacs open lines on the castled king. They rely on initiative and rapid activation of heavy pieces.
Greek Gift Bxh7+
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
- h7: Thematic sacrifice
- g5: Knight check
- h5: Queen infiltration square
When it works
You need the initiative and attackers ready to join.
- Bishop + queen aiming at king
- Knight jump to g5/g4
- Semi-open files for rooks
Minimal calc
Check 2–3 forcing moves after the sac and material recovery.
- Forcing checks
- Immediate mate threats
- Don't sac without backup
Typical sequence
1) Bxh7+/Bxh2+; 2) Knight to g5/g4+; 3) Queen to h5/h4; 4) Rook lift if needed.
- Always verify king escapes (Kg8-f8 or Kg8-h8).
- If the sac is accepted, calculate to the final check.
- If declined, you often win a pawn + initiative.
Defending
Decline or return material while keeping the king safe.
- If unsure, avoid taking; play h6/h3 prophylaxis.
- Trade off the key attacker (knight on g5/g4).
- Centralize the king (Kf8/Kf1) if the position allows.
Training
Anchor the forcing lines to avoid undercalculating.
- 5–10 castle-busting puzzles daily.
- Check how many attackers are ready before sacrificing.
- Study failures to avoid self-tilting sacs.