Both 1.e4 and 1.d4 gambiteers seem to often give up their gambit plans when faced with the French Defense. There simply aren’t many ways to give up material in the French opening, while getting some kind of development or positional compensation f...
Let’s face it, there are a at least 15 different variations Black can choose from when encountering the Smith-Morra Gambit. But in reality after 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 I always come across the same Top 3, consisting of the ever popular...
In the Danish Gambit, White gives up a pawn for quick development. In for a penny, in for a pound as they say, and most gambiteers immediately give up a second pawn which, if accepted, results in the following position and start of this bloggame. ...
One of the most common setups in the Smith-Morra Gambit, is the Scheveningen Formation. Black’s plan: Get pawns on d6 and e6, get the kingside pieces out and castle as soon as possible, hold on to the extra pawn and get into a favorable endga...
Grandmasters nor supercomputers would ever play the Halloween Gambit. And neither should you, if you’re facing them. Or maybe it wouldn’t matter so much, as they will probably win regardless of your opening choice. But if you’re facing a <2000 ...
They say that people who take drugs, always need more and stronger stuff to experience the same kick. Maybe the same principle goes for playing gambits, at least that's how I experience it from time to time. After getting used to "soft-gambits", g...
In my previous blogpost with the Smith-Morra Gambit: Paulsen Formation, we could already see how the opening encourages active play and provides tactical opportunities. In my next game I could try-out the pleasure of sacrificing my knight on d5, a...
Playing the Smith-Morra Gambit, often guarantees White quick development, open attacking lines and tactical opportunities. All that for the price of a mere pawn. So I can understand why Black would consider declining this gambit. Problem is that i...
A teammate at The Unsound Openers recently challenged me to a correspondence game, and was willing to let me play the Smith-Morra Gambit. After my previous try-out with this opening, I was eager to discover other variations and ready to dive into ...
I recently acquired “Mayhem in the Morra”, Esserman’s book about the Smith-Morra Gambit. And barely finished with chapter 2 (Scheveningen variation) I couldn’t wait to finish the rest of the book before opening a first game. Luckily for me, my opp...
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 is known as the Latvian Gambit. If after 3.Bc4 (Mayet Attack) it ain’t tricky enough for you yet, 3. ..b5 is a dodgy little move that can stir up trouble on both sides of the board. Result: The Latvian Gambit: Mayet Attack, Straut...
When playing the Black pieces, I usually like to force my opponent into the tactical battle of my choice as soon as possible. So after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3, I mostly choose to play the Latvian Gambit (2. ..f5) (See for example this blog) or the Elephant...
The Bird opening (1.f4) as such is no part of my standard opening repertoire. When my opponent in a TM answered me with the symmetrical 1. ..f5, this gave me the perfect opportunity to give up a pawn (2.e4), and enter the Wagner-Zwitersch Gambit. ...
Your Queen’s Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4) playing opponent, will probably expect you to politely decline his offer with 2. ..c6, 2. ..e6, or simply accept the gambit pawn with 2. ..dxc4. But once in a while they might face a real gambit player who says: ...
Number of moves where my opponent was in his comfort-zone: 1. The Gibbins-Wiedehagen Gambit is an uncommon reply to the Indian Game, where White forces Black into unknown territory as soon as move 2. See here for my first blogpost about this open...
Playing a game in a King’s Gambit tournament, I opened with 1.e4 e5 2.f4 (the mandatory moves) followed by 2. ..exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4, hoping for g4, so I could play the Muzio Gambit. My opponent decided otherwise, and chose the solid 4. ..Bg7. Stil...
The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.e4, usually followed by 2. ..dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf3 4.f3) is one of my favourite openings. White gambits a central pawn in move 2, in return for quick piece development and active play. The “BDG” has a lot of variatio...
As 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 are some of the most common opening moves in chess, the Latvian Gambit with 2. ..f5?! has the advantage that you can have plenty of opportunities to use this opening, once you add it to your arsenal. And yet it’s not played very o...
“A pawn is a pawn”, is a true saying you sometimes hear in chess. But what do you do when facing an opponent who takes this principle too far? You offer him exactly what he (thinks he) wants, or even more. The Muzio Gambit is an aggressive variant...
In a team match where my opponent forgot to play 2. ..f5 for a thematical Latvian Gambit game, I found in the Göring Gambit the perfect tool to punish him for his negligence. The Göring Gambit is based on the Scotch Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4) a...
Nothing an “Indian Game” player likes more than see you open with 1.d4. Until you meet his instant Nf6 with 2.g4. That’s the start of the Gibbins-Wiedehagen Gambit (A45), also known as Maltese Falcon Attack, Bullfrog Gambit or Queen Pawn Game: Bro...
Other than “just playing chess” – if such a thing exists – I like to play chess using openings that are considered dubious, unsound or even refuted. The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, The Killer Grob, The Gibbins-Wiedehagen Gambit, The Colorado Counter A...
