The Greek Gift Sacrifice

The Greek Gift is a tactic where White sacrifices a Bishop on h7 to expose the Black King. It is named after the legendary Trojan Horse: "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts."

1. The Setup (When does it work?)

You cannot play Bxh7+ blindly. You need three key ingredients:

No Defender: The Black Knight must be away from f6.
The Jumper: A White Knight ready to jump to g5.
The Queen: A path for the Queen to join the attack on h5.

Fig 1: The Setup. White plays Bxh7+!

2. The Execution (If King Retreats)

After 1...Kxh7 2. Ng5+ Kg8 3. Qh5, White threatens mate on h7. If Black does nothing, it's game over. Usually, Black plays ...Re8 to make space for the King.

3. The King Hunt (Step-by-Step)

If Black tries to run with ...Re8, we chase the King down the board! Here is the forced mating sequence:

Step 1: The Breakthrough

Qxf7+ Kf8
White crashes through. The King is forced to the corner.

Step 2: Qh5+ Kg8

Qh5+ Kg8
(After Qh5 check). We force the King to h8.

Step 2: The Drive

Qh7+ Kf8
(After Qh5 check). We force the King out of his shelter.

Step 3: The Cornering

Qh8+ Ke7
The King has no choice but to run into the center.

Step 4: The Checkmate

Qxg7#
Game Over. The King is surrounded.