King's Pawn Opening: Latvian Gambit
The Latvian Gambit is an aggressive opening that Black can try against 1.e4. Although usually not seen in master games, this opening is playable among club-level players due to its many tactical traps.
Starting Position
The Latvian Gambit starts with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5. Black offers not one but two pawns right on their second move. White can take either the e- or the f-pawn, and Black's idea is to eventually strive for better center control. Usually, a tactical slugfest follows, with both sides having to play sharp chess to come out on top.
Objectively speaking, White has a better position after Black enters the Latvian Gambit.
Pros
- It can catch the unprepared player off guard.
- It's a good option for aggressive players since it often leads to a sharp game.
Cons
- Objectively speaking, it's not a sound opening.
- White will get a much better position if they know how to avoid the traps.
Main Variations Of Latvian Gambit
White can either accept or decline the gambit, although accepting it is the best way to refute Black's opening. White concedes equality for Black by declining the gambit, in which games Black even has the better score among masters.
Latvian Gambit Accepted With 3.Nxe5
The most challenging way for White to meet Black's opening is by accepting the gambit with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5. White takes Black's pawn and threatens the immediate 4.Qh5+, which can be devastating. Because of this threat, Black usually responds with the exotic-looking 3...Qf6 or with 3...Nc6.
From there, a complicated game usually follows, with Black trying to keep a pawn in the center and both sides making tactical threats.
Latvian Gambit Accepted With 3.exf5
The other way to accept the gambit is with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.exf5, though this variation is less challenging than 3...Nxe5. In a way, Black gets what they want by diverting the white pawn from the center. From there, Black can play aggressively with 3...e4, attacking the enemy knight. Another option is to play 3...d6, supporting their e-pawn and hoping to recapture White's f5-pawn while developing the light-squared bishop.
Latvian Gambit Accepted, Greco Variation
The Greco Variation of the Latvian Gambit starts after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Qe7. While this is not the best or most-played option for Black, it is a very old move, made famous by Italian master Giochino Greco in the 1600s. Black invites White to play 4.Qh5+ in the hopes of winning an exchange. White can go for the check and even win the exchange, but must be careful with a few traps Black can play to turn the game around.
Below, you can see two games played by Greco in this variation:
Mayet Attack
The most common way of declining the gambit is with 1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Bc4, the Mayet Attack. While the engine claims equality, Black scores better in this variation. This is because White's idea of attacking the f7-square leads nowhere, and White does not have the time to exploit the weak h5-e8 diagonal.
History Of The Latvian Gambit
The Latvian Gambit is one of the oldest chess openings recorded in history, being analyzed by Pedro Damiano as early as 1512. A century later, another famous chess master, Greco, used this opening in a few beautiful games—giving the opening its other name, the Greco Counter-Gambit.
Around the 1900s, a few notable Latvian players, like Aron Nimzowitsch, popularized the opening even further. From then on, the opening was renamed the Latvian Gambit.
While there are some games where Black employs the Latvian Gambit to defeat well-known names like a young GM Bobby Fischer, it's rare to see masters playing it. However, club players still adopt this opening to this day, despite its dubious reputation.