Hate to Be a Buzzkill, But Don’t Play “Hope Chess”

Hey Impressive Chessers!

I hate to be that guy…but please, for the sake of your chess future, stop playing "hope chess".

If you are a returning reader, first of all thanks! Secondly, you know that I always try to give advice that’ll benefit your long-term improvement; not just chase likes or views. Nothing would make me prouder than seeing every single one of you climb to master level one day.*

*Especially because I’ve got a 2200 floor thanks to my Original Life Master (OLM) title, so even if you knock me down, you can’t knock me that far 😄

This blog is a public service announcement. We’re going to look at three “content creator-approved” lines that rely almost entirely on "hope chess". You know the type: flashy traps, garbage soundness, and lots of praying your opponent plays the one losing move.

By the end of this, I hope you’ll agree that “hope chess” isn’t in your best interest. Unless, of course, your goal is to plateau around 1200-1600 forever.

Line 1: The Englund Gambit – Win-a-Queen Trap

We all know who made this gambit popular...and yes, he's a likable player and personality. That charisma definitely helped this trap spread like wildfire.

What Black is hoping for:
A cheap queen trap that looks cool on YouTube shorts.

Do You See the Trap?

What actually happens:
With even minimal preparation, White easily sidesteps the trap and ends up with a massive lead in development and material. The Englund is so unsound that I don’t even need to pull out my usual “decline the gambit” advice (see: De-Spookify Gambits).

Bonus red flag:
You only get to “trap” people if they play 1.d4. If they open with 1.c4 or 1.Nf3? Time to study a whole new defense. That’s not efficient prep, it’s a trap-in-a-box gimmick.

An actually acceptable trap to “hope” for:

The Elephant Trap

Line 2: The Budapest Gambit (Fajarowicz Variation)

This one doesn't come up as much, but I recently saw it recommended. It's tempting to play because White's best move is counterintuitive and because it's not very popular, the retort isn't that well known. 

What Black is hoping for:
A tactical shot, hoping White plays “normal” moves and gets wrecked.

What actually happens:
As long as White is careful and especially if they know my favorite 4th move against this line, they will be in great shape! See if you would play the same 4th move as me (below)

Acceptable alternative trap:

The Cambridge Springs Trap

Line 3: The Ponziani–Steinitz Gambit

I’ll admit it, this one almost pulled me in. It looks fun and aggressive...until you dig deeper.

What Black is hoping for:
Some flashy tactics if White falls for two tempting moves that both don't pan out. (see below)

What actually happens:
White has multiple clean refutations. It’s one of those gambits where if your opponent knows the right moves, you’re just worse and quickly! (see below)

An actually instructive line to study instead:

The Main Line

Conclusion

Playing pure "hope chess" is like building your house on sand. It might stand for a little while, but eventually it collapses. The collapse usually happens around the 1400-1600 level when your opponents stop blundering as often.

Here’s the good news: It’s okay to include traps in your repertoire. Just make sure they pass this test:

“If they don’t fall for the trap, am I still okay?”

If the answer is no: ditch it. If yes: great! Now you're actually playing responsible chess with a little tactical spice.

Your goal in the opening shouldn't be to win instantly (though that’s nice when it happens). Instead, focus on:

• Securing your King

• Activating your pieces

• Developing clear middlegame mini-plans

Being able to win from dynamically equal-ish positions is what creates sustainable improvement. And eventually, winning streaks that don’t rely on your opponent falling for some silly trick that they can eventually punish you for. Ditch the "hope chess" and you will surely...

…Stay impressive!
OLM/NM Craig C.
linktr.ee/ChessToImpress

Has anyone been suckered by a silly "hope chess" trap? It's certainly happened to me, so don't be shy, share in the comments and we can all learn how to punish these silly tricks. Remember, tricks are for kids!