Alien Gambit

Gambit58 linesYou play White

A White gambit against the Caro-Kann: 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4, then 5.Ng5 and 6.Nxf7. White sacrifices the knight on f7 to drag Black's king out and attack it with Bc4+, Ne5+ and the queen.

Alien Gambit after 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4

The idea

Another Caro-Kann gambit: 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng5 h6 6.Nxf7!? Kxf7 7.Nf3. White gives a knight for a pawn to drag the king to f7, then attacks with Bc4+, Ne5+ and Qf3 or Qh5. The idea comes from the modern online game, where it has caught many players by surprise.

What happens next

After 7…Nf6 8.Bc4+ Kg6 9.Ne5+ Kh7 (or 9…Kh5) White brings the queen to f3 and the bishop to d3 with a vicious attack on the black king on the h-file; g4 is a typical follow-up. White must keep checking and developing; a quiet move lets Black consolidate the extra piece.

How to play against it

Black should keep calm: after 6…Kxf7 7.Nf3 Nf6 8.Bc4+ e6! (not 8…Kg6) 9.Ne5+ Kg8 the king finds a safe square and Black is a piece up. Don't move the king towards the h-file, and give back a pawn or two if it calms the attack.

A key line

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng5 h6 6.Nxf7 Kxf7 7.Nf3 Nf6 8.Bc4+ e6 9.Ne5+ Ke7 10.g4 Be4 11.O-O Nbd7 12.Qe2 Qb6 13.Rd1 g5 14.a4 Qc7 15.f3 Bh7 16.Nf7 Kxf7 17.Qxe6+ Kg6 18.Qf7#

More lines

18.Bf4+ Kb6 19.Be3 Qxe3+ …

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng5 h6 6.Nxf7 Kxf7 7.Nf3 Nf6 8.Bc4+ e6 9.Ne5+ Ke7 10.g4 Bh7 11.g5 hxg5 12.Bxg5 Nd7 13.Qe2 Qb6 14.Nxd7 Kxd7 15.Qxe6+ Kc7 16.Qf7+ Nd7 17.Be6 Qxd4 18.Bf4+ Kb6 19.Be3 Qxe3+ 20.fxe3

18.Bf4+ Kc8 19.Qe8#

9.Ne5+ Ke8 10.g4 Be4 …

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng5 h6 6.Nxf7 Kxf7 7.Nf3 Nf6 8.Bc4+ e6 9.Ne5+ Ke8 10.g4 Be4 11.O-O Nbd7 12.Qe2 Bd6 13.Bxe6 Bxe5 14.Bxd7+ Qxd7 15.dxe5 Qxg4+ 16.Qxg4 Nxg4 17.f3 Nxh2 18.Kxh2

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All 58 lines in this gambit

10.g4 Be4 11.O-O Nbd7 …
18.Bf4+ Kb6 19.Be3 Qxe3+ …
18.Bf4+ Kc8 19.Qe8#
9.Ne5+ Ke8 10.g4 Be4 …
12.g5 Bxh1 13.g6#
12.g5 hxg5 13.Nf7 Qa5+ …
16.Nxg5 Bf7 17.Rdg1 Bh6 …
29.Rg8+ Kd7 30.Qf7+ Kd6 …
29.Rg8+ Qd8 30.Qxd8#
22.Qxh6+ Kg8 23.Rhg1+ Bg6 …
10.Re1 Bf7 11.Ne5 Nxe5 …
17.Qg4 Qc7 18.Qf5#
17.Qg4 h5 18.Qf5#
15.d5+ cxd5 16.Nd4#
14.c4+ Kxc4 15.Qb3#
13.Bf4+ Ke6 14.d5+ Nxd5 …
11.Nxg5+ Ke8 12.Bg6+ Bf7 …
18.Bd3 Bg5 19.Qg6#
18.Bd3 Nf4 19.Qf5#
16.Qg4+ Kh7 17.Bd3#
8.Bd3 Qxd4 9.Nxd4
16.b3 Qxd4 17.Bg6+ Kd8 …
21.Bf5+ Kc7 22.Qe5+ Kd8 …
21.Bf5+ Kd6 22.Qe5#
21.Bf5+ Kd8 22.Rg8 Bxb3 …
18.Qxh6 Nxe5 19.dxe5 Qxf2 …
11.Ne5+ Kg7 12.Qf3 Qd5 …
11.Ne5+ Kg8 12.Qf3 Rg7 …
9.Bxg5 hxg5 10.Nxg5+ Ke8 …
13.Qe2 Bf5 14.Bxe6 Bxe6 …
21.Ke2 Qxd1+ 22.Kxd1
21.Ke2 Qxh2 22.Qxd7#
16.Nxg5+ Kg6 17.Bf7+ Kh6 …
16.Nxg5+ Qxg5 17.Bxg5
15.c3 Bxh1 16.cxb4 Qa6 …
8.Ne5+ Ke8 9.Nxg4 Nxg4 …
9.Bc4+ Kh7 10.Qd3+ Ne4 …
9.Bc4+ e6 10.Nxg4 Nxg4 …
14.Bxh6 Nf8 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 …
14.Bxh6 gxh6 15.Qg6+ Kf8 …
12.Qf3 Bxe5 13.dxe5 Nd5 …
13.Bxh6 Bxe5 14.dxe5 N6h7 …
13.Bxh6 gxh6 14.Qg3+ Kh8 …
11.Ne5+ Nxe5 12.dxe5 Bc7 …
8.d5 Kg8 9.Bc4 Qd6 …
8.d5 Qxd5 9.Bc4 Qxc4 …
10.Ne5+ Bxe5 11.dxe5 Nd5 …
10.Ne5+ Kg8 11.Qf3 Nbd7 …
12.Qh5+ Ke7 13.b3 Kd7 …
12.Qh5+ Kg8 13.Bxh6 gxh6 …
16.Re4 Ng6 17.Rg4 Nf4 …
17.Rg4+ Kf8 18.Qh6+ Kf7 …
17.Rg4+ Ng5 18.Rxg5+ Qxg5 …
12.Qf3 Nf8 13.Bxh6 Bxe5 …
12.Qf3 c5 13.Qg3 cxd4 …
11.Ne5+ Nxe5 12.dxe5 Bxe5 …