Combinations temporarily give up material at no genuine risk. Real sacrifices are intuitive and dicey.
Jouni Yrjola White
Jimmy Liew Chee Meng Black
Dubai 1986
Budapest Defense A52
1 d4 ♘f6 2 c4 e5 3 dxe5 ♘g4 4 ♘f3 ♗c5 5 e3 ♘c6 6 a3 a5 7 b3 0-0 8 ♗b2 ♖e8 9 ♗d3
9...d6!?
Now 10 0-0 dxe5 11 ♗e4! favors White slightly.
10 exd6? ♘xf2!
If 9...d6 was the start of a combination, Black would have continued 10...♗xe3. But he’d be somewhat worse after 11 0-0!, e.g. 11...♘xf2 12 ♖xf2 ♗xf2+ 13 ♔xf2 ♕xd6 14 ♕c2.
11 ♔xf2 ♖xe3
Instead he opted for a speculative sacrifice. Even computers have initial doubts.
12 ♔f1 ♗g4!
Black wants more than 12...♕xd6 13 ♗e2 ♕xd1+ 14 ♗xd1.
13 ♗e2 ♗xf3! 14 ♗xf3 ♕h4
Black sets up mating threats on f2 as well as 15...♖ae8 and ...♖e1+.
15 ♖a2
Also bad is 15 d7 ♖d8 with the idea of 16...♖xd7! 17 ♕xd7 ♖xf3+ and mates.
15...♖ae8 16 ♗c3 cxd6
Black is ready for 17...♗d4!.
Question 221: Why not 16...♗d4 immediately?
17 g3 ♕h3+ 18 ♗g2 ♕f5+ 19 ♖f2 ♕xf2+! 20 ♔f1 ♖d3+ White resigns.
Joerg Dinckel White
Evarth Kahn Black
Budapest 2000
1 d4 ♘f6 2 c4 e5 3 dxe5 ♘g4 4 ♘f3 ♗c5 5 e3 ♘c6 6 ♗e2 0-0 7 a3 a5 8 ♘c3 ♘gxe5 9 ♘xe5 ♘xe5 10 0-0 ♖e8 11 b3 ♖a6!? 12 ♘d5 ♖g6 13 b4 ♗a7 14 f4 ♘c6 15 c5?! d6 16 f5 ♖h6 17 f6 dxc5! 18 b5 ♗e6 19 e4 ♗xd5 20 ♗xh6 ♘d4 21 ♗h5 ♖xe4 22 ♗xg7 c4! 23 ♔h1 ♕d6 24 ♖e1 ♕xh2+! 25 ♔xh2 ♖h4+ 26 ♔g1 ♘e2+ 27 ♔f1 ♘g3 mate.