Greek Gift: the classic bishop sacrifice

Greek

Definition

In chess parlance, “Greek” is almost always shorthand for the Greek Gift sacrifice: the classic attacking motif in which a bishop is sacrificed on h7 (for White) or h2 (for Black) to drag the enemy king into the open. The canonical sequence for White begins with Bxh7+, luring ...Kxh7, followed by Ng5+ and an attack with the queen (often to h5) and sometimes a rook to e1. The mirror image applies for Black with ...Bxh2+.

How It’s Used

Players and commentators use “Greek” as a quick way to reference this family of sacrifices. Typical phrases include “the Greek Gift is on” or “he’s threatening the Greek on h7.” You might also see it called the “classic bishop sacrifice,” “Bxh7+ sac,” or directly as the Greek Gift.

Strategic Significance

The Greek Gift is a foundational tactical pattern because it converts piece activity and king safety advantages into a direct attack. It teaches coordination: after the sac, the knight, queen, and rook often harmonize to attack f7/f2, h7/h2, and key escape squares like g8/g1 and e7/e2.

• Typical preconditions for Bxh7+:
  • Your bishop can capture on h7 with check, and your knight can quickly jump to g5 (or e5) with tempo.
  • Your queen can join via h5 (or g4/d3), and a rook can often use the e-file (Re1/…Re8) to add pressure.
  • The defender’s kingside is slightly under-defended (e.g., the knight on f6 is pinned or poorly placed, and the dark-squared bishop is not ready to hit h7/h2).
  • The center is stable or closed so your opponent cannot easily counter in the middle while their king is exposed.
• Compensation: Typically a direct attack on the king, often leading to material recovery with interest or checkmate.
• Common venues: French Defence structures, Colle/London set-ups, many Queen’s Pawn systems, and even some Sicilians when Black castles early.

Mechanics and Main Ideas

Core attacking skeleton for White (mirror for Black):

• 1. Bxh7+ Kxh7 2. Ng5+ Kg8 3. Qh5
  • White threatens Qh7+ Kf8 Qh8+ Ke7 Qxg7, or simply a strong initiative against the uncastled/unsafe king.
  • Typical resources for Black include ...Re8, ...Nf8 (or ...Re7), ...Qf6, and sometimes returning the piece to blunt the attack.
• If Black declines with 1...Kh8, White can often continue with Ng5, Qh5, or Qd3, increasing pressure and threatening ideas like Qh7# or Qh3.
• If 1...Kg6 after Bxh7+ Ng5+, White often plays Qd3+ or Qg4+, creating mating nets and exploiting the dark squares.

Examples

Illustrative sequence (not tied to a specific opening, White to play):

• With White pieces on Bd3, Nf3, Qd1, rooks ready to come to e1, and Black castled short with a knight on f6 and bishop on e7:
  • 1. Bxh7+! Kxh7 2. Ng5+ Kg8 3. Qh5
    • If 3...Re8, then 4. Qxf7+ Kh8 5. Qh5+ Kg8 6. Qh7+ Kf8 7. Qh8+ Ke7 and White continues the attack, regaining material or driving the king into a net.
    • If 3...Qe8, 4. Qh4 and the pressure mounts against h7, f7, and the dark squares around the king.
    • If 3...Nxh5, this is usually illegal or disastrous because the knight on f6 cannot simultaneously guard h5 and cover the mating threats; in many lines White wins by force.

Mirror-image example for Black: if White’s king is on g1 with Bd3, Nf3, and White has castled short, Black can consider ...Bxh2+! Kxh2 ...Ng4+ followed by ...Qh4+ or ...Qh4, depending on piece placement, to seize the initiative.

Historical Notes and Etymology

The phrase “Greek Gift” alludes to the ancient warning “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts,” referring to the Trojan Horse legend. The irony is that the motif’s earliest systematic analysis is found in the work of Gioachino Greco, who was Italian, not Greek. Over the centuries, the bishop sacrifice on h7/h2 became a staple of classical tactics manuals and master praxis.

When It Works—and When It Doesn’t

• Favorable signs:
  • Your knight reaches g5 with check or tempo.
  • Your queen can reach h5 (or g4/d3) quickly.
  • The defender lacks the key resources ...Nf8, ...Re8/…Re7, or ...Qf6 in time.
  • The center is closed or locked, slowing counterplay.
• Red flags (often refuting the sac):
  • The defender can play ...Nf8 (or ...Re7) quickly, returning material if needed to consolidate.
  • Your knight has no safe route to g5/e5, or your queen cannot access h5/g4 swiftly.
  • The defender has an extra defender on h7/h2 (e.g., a knight on f8 or h7) or the move ...g6 (...g3) hits your queen with tempo.
  • The center is open and the opponent can strike back immediately with ...c5/...f6 (or ...d4), exposing your own king.

Practical Tips

• Before playing Bxh7+/...Bxh2+, count attackers vs. defenders around the king and calculate the forcing line through the first 4–6 moves.
• Look for resource moves like Qd3/Qg4 (or ...Qd6/...Qg5) to maintain initiative if the king runs.
• If the sacrifice is unsound, consider a preparatory move (h4–h5, Re1, Qe2, Qd3) that increases the likelihood of it working next move.

Related Terms

• Greek Gift (full entry on the motif)
• Classic bishop sacrifice
• King hunt
• Dark-square/light-square weaknesses

Interesting Facts

• The Greek Gift is one of the first attacking patterns taught to improving players because it encodes calculation, coordination, and king safety in a single idea.
• Engines have refined our understanding: many “romantic” Greek Gifts are sound only with precise follow-ups or specific move-order nuances; others are surprisingly correct even against best defense.
• The motif appears in puzzles across all levels—sometimes as a direct shot, other times as a decoy to lure the king into a mating net two or three moves later.