[Puzzle Road] Become an opening expert! (P13)

Welcome to puzzle road!

Yesterday, I read the question of a player in the discord server. This one was: “do I have to learn openings by heart to become a stronger player?” The answer I can give you, is yes and no at the same time. Indeed, you will need to follow your feeling to play the right moves against an opponent who does not play enough theoretical. On the other side, to create this feeling, you still need to know at least the basic of this opening.
A way to learn them is to start with the best traps and how to stay with an advantage if your opponent does fall into it. In the puzzle of today, we are at the 6^th move of the scotch gambit. The opponent just played 5. … / dxc3 (??) and took a pawn more. How can we play it to win the advantage in this position?

13/ Become an opening expert! (Topic: opening trap)

Right move for White: 7. Bishop x f7 (!!)

This move is brilliant for Stockfish and I totally agree! Let’s see the three possibilities for Black:

First possibility for Black: 7. … / Kxf7

We gave the Bishop, won a pawn, and can win the bishop back by playing 8. Qd5+ (!)
If 8. … / Ke8, we first check by playing our queen on the h5-square to destroy the pawn structure of Black and take then the black Bishop. After this, if Black takes the b-pawn, we take back and attack with our Bishop the h8-rook! If he does not take back and attack our queen, we take the c3-pawn. If he does not take the b-pawn and does not attack our queen, we take the pawn with our b-Knight and play Qe3 later if he attacks her.
If 8. … / Kf8, we take the bishop and check the king, followed by 9. … / d6, 10. Qe3. If he does not play d6 and does not move his king, we play our queen on the e3-square. After cxb2, we take back the pawn again with the Bishop and directly attack the g7-square!

Second possibility for Black: Kf8 (?)

Here, we can easily play Bishop b3 and have a clear advantage in our development! Moreover, Black cannot castle anymore…

Third possibility for Black: Ke7 (?)

Followed again by Bishop b3, we have again a good development and a space advantage!

Take care with gambits! If your opponent offers you to take a second pawn, you shouldn’t take it or you will fall in a trap like this one (from the scotch gambit)!

Have a good day and see you tomorrow for the next tactic!
@Kyu13

More blogs written by @Kyu13:
The main question: How to become a stronger player?
The Scotch Game: A good opening?
Reach 2000 with this trick used by GMs!

Puzzle Road:
[Puzzle Road] Attack, Block and Take! (P1)
[Puzzle Road] Check the king for a good promotion! (P2)
[Puzzle Road] Bishops vs. Pawns: fight for a draw! (P3)
[Puzzle Road] Go out of my way! (P4)
[Puzzle Road] Unbelievable, I missed that! (P5)
[Puzzle Road] A checkmate in remembrance of Bobby Fischer! (P6)
[Puzzle Road] Target and take! (P7)
[Puzzle Road] A checkmate to win 1 of 15 games... (P8)
[Puzzle Road] Pin-Pong! (P9)
[Puzzle Road] 2 Brilliant moves and 1 Brilliant News! (P10)
[Puzzle Road] A checkmate in 7 moves! (P11)
[Puzzle Road] Do you still doubt of the power of the Knights? (P12)