Gambit
Etymology
From Italian "gambetto," a wrestling term for tripping an opponent, from "gamba" (leg). The Spanish chess writer Ruy López adapted it as "gambito" in 1561 for an opening that sacrifices a pawn for position, and English took it as "gambit." It now covers any calculated opening move in talk, business, or negotiation.
noun · /GAM-bit/
An opening move or offer that sacrifices something small to seize a larger advantage or set the terms of what follows.
What it names
The calculated giving-up of a small thing to grab the initiative — the strategic opening that shapes the whole exchange.
Example
Volunteering to take the first round of cuts himself was a gambit to win the board’s trust for a bigger restructuring.
Related idea
A gambit invests a small, deliberate loss for later gain, whereas a pyrrhic victory is a win whose cost outweighs the prize.