The power of the Sturm's gambit
To finish my birthday the right way, I'm finally releasing the full version of the Sturm gambit. After weeks of analyzing the book, I've found the best openings, the best position for white, and some variations. Let's get into it.
The Sturm's Gambit
The fish opening takes control of e5 and stops the development of blacks e pawn, holding back his bishop from moving comfortably, unless the e pawn is used on e6.
We'll be starting with the basics, and what this position entails. The position starts with f4, the birds opening. Black, using the best move, d5, is taking control of some of the center. here is where the sturm gambits starts, when white plays c4.
In this position black has two options. Accepted or declined. Chess.com doesn't go this in depth, as the position hasn't yet been put into the mainstream. We'll be getting into some lines for the opening, and looking at positives and negatives.
Accepted Variations
We'll be looking at one of the most intense positions first.
From here, black can either block with his knight, pawn, or his bishop. If he blocks with bishop or pawn, take their c4 pawn and continue the game as normal, but if they block with knight, a strong position will begin to appear.
This position puts pressure on the knight, while threatening the c4 pawn. Black has many positions I haven't looked through completely, but the best for white would be f5, where this will play out...
Throughout every single position, white will be ahead. This position Is (while unlikely) good to keep in the barrel incase it happens in your game. Let's look at some other positions in the accepted variation.
e4 takes a central square, puts pressure on blacks b pawn, and still lets whites knights and bishops into the battle.
Declined Variations
The declined positions allows way more positions for white, as well as black. Declining the variation usually ends in a closed mid game, with very little movement. You just need to know how to play in these conditions, and allow yourself room to move. I haven't yet played this position enough to find tactics that are carved out enough to work. Let's get into these closed positions.
In this position white has a threat on the h7 pawn, getting ready for a midgame, while black has very little development of his queenside, with only one pawn moved. This position slowly becomes closed for black and gives white many options for attacks.
This position, much like the last, gives white many positions to attack, while slowing blacks development.These positions all have their pros and cons, and the difference between them is how you feel using them.
This position breaks one of the main rules of chess openings. No pieces have been developed, only working with pawns. This can be followed up with developing knights, and following up with b3 and g3 at some point, only having two pawn islands, and a strong positional lead.
This position is one of the few I found with a open game. Truly open*. White has little advantage, but has an easier space to work with, allowing more movement for pieces.
The sturm's gambit is, by no means, the best gambit. The opponent will likely not know it, allowing a mental advantage, but it can be countered by a good player. This gambit is my personal favorite, since I've been studying it for so long. with enough time using the sturm's gambit, a player could become exceptional with it, using their knowledge of key moves, and what not to play for what reason. I plan to continue my research on the gambit, and will release another blog in this fashion, in the coming months. Thank you for reading, and if you want, check out a few other blogs. I post often with the best content possible. Good night.
