The Burris Gambit begins with 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Bd3. White gets wonderful development and piece quality. In addition, it creates an open game, which most Caro-Kann players disdain.

    The gambit accepted is 5... Qxd4. White thereby responds with 6. Nf3, which attacks the queen. Black has many options, but the best move is 6... Qd8. It gets the queen out of potential harassment while temporarily staking a claim to the d-file. 7. Qe2 is best because if 7. 0-0, Bxe4 8. Bxe4 Qxd1 9. Rxd1 gives white only mediocre compensation for the pawn. Obviously, Black cannot play 7...Nd7?? because of 8. Nd6#! Black has three options: e6, Nf6, and Bxe4. Although Nf6 apparently drops a piece, black saves the day with 8. Nxf6+ gxf6 9 Bxf5 Qa5+ 10. Bd2 Qxf5 with equality. With all three of these lines, minor pieces are traded. The point of this gambit accepted is to bring the rooks onto open files, control the center and the board with pieces, and to convert the development and quality into a kingside attack or an endgame supremacy.

    If the gambit is declined, Black gives white a definite initiative with well centralized pieces and good development. Moves such as 5... e6 will be met by 6. Nf3 and 6... Bxe4 7. Bxe4 Nf6 8. Bf3 will cede white the bishop pair. The Burris Gambit, although unusual, is a sound gambit that suits many styles.

 

 (I did not write this article or invent this opening. I will answer any questions to the best of my knowledge, but I may not know the answer.)

What do you think of this gambit?

Thanks for the info. One of the sounder gambits for sure.

In this article it does not discuss the badness of 6... Qb6, but from what I heard, after 7. Be3 Qxb2 8. Rg1 Qxa2 9. Rxb7, white has a great queenside attack, and an advantage.

This is a very interesting opening.  There ought to be a !? by Bd3.  This opening has many traps and Black must play very accurately to defend.  But against careful play, White's initiative can peter out over time.  But White can force threefold repetition when all else fails.  A sound gambit indeed.

This is an interesting idea.  I am going to try it the next time I face the caro-kann!

I have analysed the positions that come from this opening far beyond what this article has.  As the creator of this opening, feel free to ask me any questions about it.  It is a very good surprise weapon that is never included in books.