Compensation: a practical example
An extra pawn may be less valuable than the opponent's active pieces, exposed king targets, and control of open files. Whether those benefits are enough depends on concrete defense and on how long the advantages can be maintained.
How to use the idea in your games
State the compensation explicitly: activity, king safety, structure, or a forced continuation. An engine number can help check the judgment, but you should still understand its practical basis.
A useful study question
Can you explain compensation in your own words, identify it in a position, and describe when the idea does not apply? Test the explanation on a legal board before relying on it.
Connect the ideas
Sacrifice, Initiative, Material are useful next concepts. Follow the links to compare definitions and examples, then return to the complete chess glossary whenever an unfamiliar term appears.
Sources & further reading
References checked September 5, 2026. Linked services are independent of ChessRankings.com™.