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Halloween Gambit

Gambit33 linesYou play White

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5. White gives a whole knight for a pawn, then chases Black's knights with d4, d5 and e5. The aim is a huge centre and an opponent too busy to use the extra piece.

Halloween Gambit after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5

The idea

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 gives a whole knight for a pawn. After 4…Nxe5 5.d4 White chases the knight with tempo, then plays e5 to push the f6 knight back too. White ends up with a huge centre and a lead in development against two badly placed knights.

What happens next

After 5…Ng6 6.e5 Ng8 7.Bc4 White has pawns on d4 and e5, both bishops out and the queen ready for f3 or h5; Black's knights are back where they started. 5…Nc6 6.d5 Ne5 7.f4 is similar. White must keep the pawns rolling; if Black unravels, the piece decides.

How to play against it

Black should give some material back to calm the centre: 5…Ng6 6.e5 Ng8 7.Bc4 d5! (or 7…Bb4) and then …Bb4, …Nge7, …O-O. 5…Nc6 6.d5 Bb4! 7.dxc6 Nxe4 is another reliable line. Don't retreat passively and let White get both e5 and d5 for free.

A key line

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Bc5 5.Nf3 Ng4 6.d4 Bb4 7.Bd3

More lines

6.d4 Bb6 7.h3 Nf6 …
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Bc5 5.Nf3 Ng4 6.d4 Bb6 7.h3 Nf6 8.e5
6.d4 Nxd4 7.Nxd4 Qf6 …
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Bc5 5.Nf3 Ng4 6.d4 Nxd4 7.Nxd4 Qf6 8.Qxg4 Bxd4 9.Qf3
6.d4 Bb4 7.Bd3
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Bc5 5.Nf3 O-O 6.d4 Bb4 7.Bd3
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All 33 lines in this gambit

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