Study exchange sacrifice positions from real Lichess games. When is giving up a rook for a minor piece worth the positional compensation?
The exchange sacrifice — giving up a rook for a minor piece — is one of the most sophisticated positional concepts in chess. When correctly timed, it can yield lasting positional compensation: a dominant minor piece, structural weaknesses in the opponent's camp, or an unstoppable initiative. Petrosian and Karpov were famous practitioners of this theme.