Chess Gambit - Hit Em for Six in the KPG

The Goring Gambit is a potent variation in the Scotch Game. You give up a pawn on c3 in return for open lines. Develop with tempo and post your pieces to key files and diagonals.

Playing this opening with a good knowledge of it's variations can often allow you to trap the Black King in the center. This gives you a plethora of tactical opportunities.

Many players with the Black pieces are mindful of the Goring's fearsome potential. For this reason the gambit is often declined. If you are offered the Goring as Black and you wish to decline then 4...d5 is a good way to go. You have every chance of reaching a good position.

The Relfsson Gambit comes about in the Scotch Game after the move 4.Bb5. Black has three main replies. 4...a6 is the most common and most solid. 4...Bc5 (trying to hold the pawn) and the somewhat dubious 4.Bb4+ are the others. 4...d6 is an interesting sideline.

After 4...a6 the Main Line continues 5.Ba4 Nf6 6.0-0. Black could also play 5...Bc5 where you again castle short. Either way as White you will be looking for an advantage off the back of your faster development on the Queenside.


As Black you basically choose between trying to hold the d4-pawn or letting it go and developing and castling a little quicker. Black tends to do a little better by choosing the safe option of giving back the pawn.

Taking on c3 means you keep the material. If you choose this option you must rely on your defensive capabilities as White will throw his forces at you in a powerful attack.

The Scotch Gambit is found in the Scotch Game. The Main Line of the Scotch Game is of course 4.Nxd4 but it's not the only way to play. Here you will play 4.Bc4. You are content with superior development and attacking chances for the pawn.

Black is known to play many moves in response but the five recurring moves are 4...Nf6 (the Two Knights Defense), 4...Bc5, 4...Be7, 4...d6 or 4...Bb4+.

The best response to the most common move, 4...Nf6 is to push on with 5.e5 to kick the Knight. If Black plays 4...Bc5 in an attempt to hold the pawn you will play 5.c3. The d4-pawn is pinned in a way for if Black takes you have tactics based on 6.Bxf7 taking advantage of the loose c5-Bishop.

The Belgrade Gambit is a variation inside the Four Knights Game. It was analyzed in depth nearly 70 years ago by several chess masters from Belgrade. Up until that time the opening was not considered to hold much potential for White.

After 1.e4 e5 followed by the development of the four Knights, White would play 4.d4 and Black would answer with 4...exd4. The usual continuation from that point prior to the analysis from Belgrade was 5.Nxd4.

The problem was that this opening tended to yield only a minimal advantage for White and Black would not have to face any pressure. The guys in Belgrade discovered an interesting new option for White. Instead of the solid but uninspiring 5.Nxd4, they recommended 5 Nd5!? which opened up a whole new world of exciting possibilities for White.

The Halloween Gambit is another tricky little ruse in the Four Knights Game. Now the other Knight springs forward. You play 4.Nxe5 with an audacious sacrifice.

The trade off soon becomes clear after 4...Nxe5 5.d4, kicking the Knight, 5...Ng6 6.e5 Ng8. White has a big imposing center with the associated space advantage. Black only has one developed piece and this Knight looks displaced on g6.

Experience has shown that Black can get a good game through very precise play but the right path is narrow and any loose moves can get him in deep trouble quickly.

The Chicago Gambit is an early Knight sacrifice that is dubious to say the least. Everything starts off sensibly enough with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6. At this juncture you can play a perfectly sane move like 3.Bc4 or 3.Bb5. Or you can play something crazy.

The crazy move here is 3.Nxe5 Nxe5 4.d4. You give up a Knight for a pawn. This allows you to chase the Black Knight around the board a little bit. You will take a development lead. This plan allows you to open up diagonals for your Bishops while Black keeps his Knight safe.

This gambit should not work with longer times on the clock. Black can keep the piece and has time to solve his development deficit without too much difficulty. It may be an asset in blitz play against a startled opponent who can't think on his feet.

The Ponziani Countergambit is Black's most violent way of treating White's Ponziani Opening. White plays 3.c3 in order to support the later d4 push. As Black you have a few very playable options to answer 3.c3.

The three Main Lines in this position are 3...Nf6, 3...d5 and 3...d6. These continuations account for the vast amount games that reach this position. The Ponziani Countergambit, 3...f5, is the most important sideline. It can have a powerful psychological effect.

White will usually play 4.d4 here. This is answered by 4...fxe5. 4.d3 is another less popular way to decline, played to hold the e4-pawn. Here 4...Nf6 is the usual reply. White can also accept the gambit with 4.exf5 although this is also a sideline. You will push the e-pawn to kick the Knight if you get this move.

The Basque Gambit is found in the Ruy Lopez Opening. Everything plays out in a predictable enough fashion until you inject some dynamism into the position with the push 6.d4.

Black accepts this first sacrifice with 6...exd4. Then comes 7.e5, the reason for the previous move and the f6-Knight must vacate. 7...Ne4 is the move and then you play a second gambit. 8.c3 asks Black if he wants to give up a tempo for the pawn.

Your opponent can take this gambit with 8...dxc3 or decline with 8.d3. If the second Greek gift is accepted you can proceed with 9.Nxc3, 9.bxc3, 9.Bc2, 9.Re1 or 9.Qd5 with interesting play ahead. If he declines you can mop up the d3-pawn but you should take care that he does not manage to cement his e4-Knight in place.

The Karpov Gambit is another gambit lurking in the Ruy Lopez. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3 d4 11.Ng5 we have reached the Karpov.

11.cxd4 seems the most solid move. The most popular move is 11.Bxe6. So what would lead Anatoly Karpov to give up a piece in this position with the text move?

If Black accepts the gambit you have the stunning move 12.Qf3! The f6-Knight is loose and Black is suddenly in some difficulty. He must choose between two moves. 11...Bd7 holding the Knight and surviving an onslaught or simply 0-0-0 and letting the Knight go.

The Harksen Gambit again shows us that the Ruy Lopez has scope for tactical maneuvering with the White pieces. You can put this riddle to Black with another double pawn sacrifice in mind.

The first by means of 6.d4 opens up the center and the plates begin to shift. This is a good alternative to trading on c6 or putting a heavy piece on the e-file. The Main Line simply sees you continuing with the central thrust.

After 6...b5 7.Bb3 d5 you now have several moves, the main ones taking back the pawn with 8.dxe5 or sometimes 8.Nxe5. 8.a4, 8.Nc3 and 8.Re1 have also been played here. Then there is the surprising move devised by Harksen. It is 8.c4, a move more devious than first appears. It seems like you're losing a move with tempo. However you will quickly storm the center with your heavy pieces and Black must tread carefully not to become a victim of your many deadly traps.

The Alapin Gambit is a clever little idea that comes about in the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation. White does not play 5.Nxe5 as the pawn would be easily won back by means of 5...Qd4 forking Knight and pawn on the e-file and leading to an unfavorable position for White.

He ignores the e5-pawn and simply castles instead. You have four main moves and several more sidelines in this position. 5...Bd6, 5...Qd6 and 5...f6 all defend the pawn directly. The 4th move, 5...Bg4 defends the pawn indirectly by pinning the f3-Knight to his Queen.


6.h3 is the usual move here trying to prod the Bishop into retreat. 6...Bxf3 saves the pawn and 6...Bh5 gives it up in return for a loose Black Kingside. These moves have been played down through the years.

By far the most popular move here is 6...h5 which sacrifices the Bishop in order to open the h-file. If accepted then 7...hxg4 drives off the f3-Knight which is the key defender here. White must give up this piece in order to survive as 8...Qh5 is the deadly threat waiting in the wings. A move like 7.d3 is more common.

The Schliemann Gambit is also known as the Jaenisch Gambit. Carl Jaenisch developed this as a weapon to combat the Ruy Lopez Opening in 1847. Adolf Karl Wilhelm Schliemann later analyzed the gambit and it sometimes takes his name.

The Schliemann has echoes of the Latvian about it. Many traps lie in wait for the player playing White should he come unprepared. This is a sideline for occasional use. White can keep the gambitted pawn and survive the attacks with good defensive know how.

3.Nc3 and 3.d3 are the main moves for White in this position. 3.Qe2 is also a strong sideline for the first player here. You're probably hoping to see something like 3.d4, 3.Bxc6 or 3.exf5 which will give you a good chance to get on top.