Is sacrificing a chariot ever good?

Only as a surprise — the material loss is hard to justify unless the opponent blunders in the resulting complications.

Iron Slide Chariot (Tie Hua Che)

车一进一，车一平九

A flashy, sacrificial opening where Red gives up a chariot for early chaos and a surprise attack — exciting but objectively unsound.

Iron Slide Chariot is a gambiteering weapon best used against unprepared opponents. At serious levels it is rarely correct.

Red may open 炮二平五 before the sacrifice.

Black develops 车9平8 to exploit the material lead.

Is sacrificing a chariot ever good?: Only as a surprise — the material loss is hard to justify unless the opponent blunders in the resulting complications.