defence · recognise → explain → apply

Return the exchange to build a mobile pawn centre

A rook can be sacrificed for a minor piece and a strong central pawn mass.

Explanation styleChoose any style. Age is not playing strength; no birth date is needed.

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Choose an example

Dubov,Daniil – Firouzja,Alireza

Levitov Dubov-Firouzja Bl · 2021.05.19 · 1/2-1/2

23... Re5 · White to move

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What to notice at 23... Re5

The exchange sacrifice is accepted, and the game remains dynamic before ending in a draw.

A legally replayed historical example, not a claim that every move is best. A game’s result does not prove every defensive position was lost or drawn.

Game source ↗

Your thinking first

Name the signal, choose a plan, and test the opponent’s most challenging response.

What do you notice?What is your plan, and why?How could the opponent resist?

Recall and explain

1. What structure follows ...Re5 Bxe5 fxe5?

Explain it in your own words before revealing.

Make it memorable

Trade the tower only for an army that can move.

Teach this to a friend in one minute. Then return to a different example and look for the same signal without being told its name.

Reflect and revisit

This is your self-assessment, not an engine grade or a promise of mastery.

Connect the ideas

Sources and further reading

Original LumaChess teaching and game analysis. Topic references are credited below; no affiliation or endorsement is implied.

Exeter Chess Club — The Theory of Steinitz ↗