Today, I would like to introduce a gambit par excellence: The Torjan horse attack. It is provactive, risky, unsound, and seemingly harmful: Everything white loves in a gambit. In speed chess it proves to be a powerful in doing exactly what it's goal is historically: Giving a fake horse gift.
Now, the gambit is not sound. Black can ward off white's attack assuming black doesn't get careless. However, white may obtain a psychological advantage especially from the fact that black cannot castle, white's bishop at c4 prevents the black king's hope for a castled-like position, and black may likely focus too much on his kingside thus failing to develop his queenside. Here is an example game:
Here is another game:
Again, black will often lose if he does not know white intentions. Whites advancement of the Horse to g5 is essentially a bluff, yet if black wastes time attacking it, white can clear house quickly. For instance:
this is a relatively unknown opening for one reason. It's not played too often at GM level for a reason, like the Fried liver. Take the hint; not the most podent opening for white.
Today, I would like to introduce a gambit par excellence: The Torjan horse attack. It is provactive, risky, unsound, and seemingly harmful: Everything white loves in a gambit. In speed chess it proves to be a powerful in doing exactly what it's goal is historically: Giving a fake horse gift.
Now, the gambit is not sound. Black can ward off white's attack assuming black doesn't get careless. However, white may obtain a psychological advantage especially from the fact that black cannot castle, white's bishop at c4 prevents the black king's hope for a castled-like position, and black may likely focus too much on his kingside thus failing to develop his queenside. Here is an example game:
Here is another game:
Again, black will often lose if he does not know white intentions. Whites advancement of the Horse to g5 is essentially a bluff, yet if black wastes time attacking it, white can clear house quickly. For instance: