Tennison gambit: Intercontinental ballistic missile variation and how to play with it

Tennison gambit: Intercontinental ballistic missile variation and how to play with it

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The tennison gambit is a chess opening for white which white gambit a pawn. The opening moves begin with the Réti Opening:

d5

A variation of the tennison gambit is the intercontinental ballistic missle gambit. Here's how it work

The game starts with white  playing e4, the king's pawn opening. Black responds with d5: The Scandinavian Defense. White now responds with Nf3: The tennison gambit. Black plays dxe4, take the seemingly free pawn. White goes Ng5, run away from the attack and threatening to take the pawn on e4. Black plays Nf6, develop the knight and protect the pawn on e4. White moved queen's pawn to d3, offering a pawn trade, because black already have the material advantage so they will most likely plays exd3. White plays Bed3, captures back the pawn. Black see that the knight is annoying so sometimes they plays h6, kick the knight away. White plays Nxf7, captures the pawn and fork the queen and the rook. Black has no other good moves except Kxf7. White plays Bg6+, force the king to take it and exposed the queen. Black cannot protect the queen because the bishop is controlling the corridor so black plays Kxg6. Now white can launch a missile from the queen to the black queen and demolish it. Now you are having advantage instead.

But don't be greedy on taking the light-square bishop after black plays e5 or e4, or the game might turn to this scenario

Blacks can plays Bb4+ and having a discovered attack on the white queen. After white plays c3, block the check and attack the bishop. Black plays Bxc3, remove the attacker and have a new attacker :/. White plays bxc3, take back the bishop. Now is obvious that black will play Rxc8 and have the advantage back.

Credit to Gothamchess and Bosnian Ape Society