An ideal pawn sacrifice opens lines you want open and closes the ones you don’t.
Josef Dobias White
Jiri Podgorny Black
Prague 1952
French Defense, Rubinstein Variation C10
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 ♘c3 dxe4 4 ♘xe4 ♘d7 5 ♘f3 ♗e7 6 ♗d3 ♘gf6 7 ♕e2 0-0 8 0-0 ♘xe4 9 ♕xe4 ♘f6 10 ♕h4! b6 11 ♗g5 g6
The threat was 12 ♗xf6 and ♕xh7 mate.
12 c4 ♗b7
Now 13 ♘e5 ♘d5! and Black is secure (14 cxd5 ♗xg5; 14 ♗xe7 ♘xe7).
13 d5! exd5 14 ♖fe1
Threatening 15 ♖xe7! followed by 16 ♗xf6.
14...h6! 15 ♕xh6!
Black’s slim chances rested on 15 ♗xh6 ♘e4! 16 ♕f4 ♗d6.
But now 15...dxc4 16 ♗xc4 (threat of ♕xg6+) is strong.
Question 179: Are there good alternatives to 16 ♗xc4 ?
15...♘g4 16 ♕h4! ♗xg5 17 ♘xg5 ♘f6 18 ♕h6!
Now 18...♗c8! 19 ♖e3! prepares 20 ♖f3 and ♖xf6.
18...d4 19 ♖e6! ♖e8 20 ♗xg6! resigns.
It’s 20...fxg6 22 ♕xg6+ ♔h8 23 ♘f7 mate.
Evgeny Vasiukov White
Vladimir Masich Black
Lignano Sabbiadoro 2005
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 ♘c3 dxe4 4 ♘xe4 ♘d7 5 ♘f3 ♗e7 6 ♗d3 ♘gf6 7 ♕e2 ♘xe4 8 ♕xe4 ♘f6 9 ♕h4! ♗d7 10 ♘e5 c5 11 0-0 cxd4 12 ♕xd4 0-0 13 ♗g5 ♗e8 14 ♕h4 g6 15 f4 ♘d5 16 ♖f3? ♗xg5? (16...f6!) 17 fxg5 ♕b6+ 18 ♔h1 ♕xb2 19 ♖e1 ♕b4 20 c4 f6 21 ♖ef1 ♘e7 22 ♖h3 h5 23 gxf6 ♘f5 24 ♗xf5 exf5 25 ♖g3 ♕d6 26 ♘xg6 ♖xf6 27 ♘f4+ ♔f8 28 ♕g5 ♗f7 29 ♖e1 resigns.