A Leonhardt Gambit Miniature (A few thoughts on homecourt advantage)
Playing a gambit often doesn't give you theoretical advantage but a psychological one. What it does is it throws your opponent off his game forcing him into unexplored territories where he has to find his way and that affects him, and he plays below his capabilities because he is spending mind resources on the stuff he usually doesn't spend his resources on. In Soccer it's called home-court advantage, that is, away-court disadvantage.
Paul Saladin Leonhardt (13 November 1877 – 14 December 1934) was a German chess master. He was born in Posen, Province of Posen, German Empire (now Poland), and died of a heart attack in Königsberg during a game of chess.
A player with a low profile and not many tournament wins, Leonhardt has been largely forgotten by the history books. However, at his best, he was able to defeat most of the elite players of the period. Tarrasch, Tartakower, Nimzowitsch, Maróczy and Réti all succumbed to his fierce attacking style between 1903 and 1920. He won several brilliancy prizes.
Thank you very much Mr. Leonhardt, I am having a lot of fun playing your gambit.
Rest in Peace, live long and prosper, cause the true heroes never die!
P.S.
As an expert analyst of the openings, he wrote a monograph on the Ruy Lopez (Zur Spanische Partie – 1913). Opening variations have been attributed to him in the Lopez, Sicilian Defence, Ponziani Opening, Evans Gambit, and the Scandinavian Defense.
