[Event "Opening ideas: Halloween Gambit"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/9zO1bACz/beQtO2JP"] [Result "*"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C47"] [Opening "Four Knights Game: Halloween Gambit"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/JoaBN"] [UTCDate "2021.03.12"] [UTCTime "15:35:17"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/9zO1bACz/beQtO2JP"] [Orientation "black"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nxe5 Nxe5 { We accept the sacrifice, of course. } 5. d4 (5. f4 { This is not the most usual, but it follows the logic of White's sacrifice. } 5... Nc6 6. e5 Ng8 7. d4 d5 { It is essential to counter White's movements in the centre. By claiming a stake in the centre Black basically stops White's initative in its tracks. } 8. exd6 (8. a3 h5!? { This move might look suspicious, but it is very logical. Black attempts to control the light squares on the kingside so that his pieces can find safe havens there. Specifically, the f5-square is important. The h5-pawn stops an future g2-g4 advance. } { [%csl Gf5] } 9. Be3 Nce7 10. Bd3 g6 11. O-O Bf5 12. Bxf5 Nxf5 13. Bf2 Ngh6 14. h3 h4 { [%csl Yh4] } 15. Qd3 c6 $19 { White's position is not that bad in itself, but there is a piece missing! Black is slightly cramped for now, but will enjoy a solid position with a piece to boot very shortly. }) 8... Bxd6 9. Bc4 Nf6 $19 { [%cal Ye8g8] }) 5... Ng6 { This is the most common response. Black accepts the challenge and tries to prove that White's gambit is incorrect. } (5... Nc6 { This is the "anti-gambit" approach where Black fights for the initiative. A matter of taste. } 6. d5 (6. e5?! Ng8 7. Bc4 d5! { What good is an extra piece if one does not have freedom of movement? } 8. Bxd5 Nge7 9. Bg5 Bf5 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. O-O Qd7 $17 { [%cal Ge7g6] }) 6... Bb4!? (6... Ne5 7. f4 Ng6 { Black has lured White's pawn forward on the board which could leave White vulnerable later. However, White's pawn centre can become dangerous quite quickly, so it is recommended to be prepared here. } 8. e5 Ng8 (8... Bb4!? 9. exf6 (9. Qd4 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Ng4 11. Be2 d6 12. exd6 O-O { The easier option. } (12... cxd6 13. Qxg7 Qe7 { [%csl Re1] } 14. Bd2 Ne3 15. Bxe3 Qxe3 16. Kd1 Kd8 17. Re1 Re8 { [%csl Rd1] } 18. Qxf7 Qxc3 $19 { It looks messy, but Black is enjoying an extra piece and a relatively safer king. } { [%csl Rd1] }) 13. dxc7 Qxc7 14. O-O Nh6 { [%cal Yh6f5] } 15. d6 Qd8 16. Ba3 Nf5 17. Qf2 Re8 18. Rad1 (18. Rae1 Bd7 19. Bf3 Qa5 20. Bb4 Qa6 $17 { [%cal Ya8d8] }) 18... Ne3 { [%cal Re3f1,Re3d1] }) 9... Qxf6 10. Bd3 O-O (10... Bxc3+ 11. bxc3 Qxc3+ 12. Bd2 Qd4 { [%csl Re1] } 13. Qe2+ Kd8 { [%cal Gh8e8] } 14. c3 Qxd5 15. O-O Re8 16. Be3 b6 { [%cal Gc8b7] } 17. c4 Qc6 18. Rae1 Bb7 { The Black king's position is not the best, but the material advantage outweighs this - Black is better, but there is a lot of play in the position. } { [%csl Rd8] }) 11. O-O (11. Bd2 Re8+ { [%csl Re1] }) 11... Bxc3 12. bxc3 d6 (12... Qxc3 13. Rb1 Qd4+ 14. Kh1 Qxd5 15. f5 Ne5 16. f6 Nxd3 17. fxg7 (17. cxd3 g6 18. Qd2 { [%cal Yd2h6] } 18... g5!? { A desperado-looking move, but it does invite an exchange of queens which would be favourable for Black due to the material situation. } (18... Qh5? 19. Rb5 d5 20. Rxd5!) 19. a4 { [%csl Gb5][%cal Gb1b5] } 19... d6 20. Rb5 c5 21. Qxg5+ Qxg5 22. Bxg5 h5 { Securing some luft for the king. } 23. Bf4 b6 24. Bxd6 Rd8 25. Be7 Rxd3 $19 { The dust has settled and Black is better. }) 17... Nf2+!) 13. Rb1 b6 14. c4 Bf5 (14... Qh4 15. f5 Ne5 16. Rf4 Qf6 17. Qh5 $36 { White is on the front foot here. }) 15. Bb2 { [%csl Gb2,Rf5] }) 9. d6 cxd6 10. exd6 { The pawn on d6 is the main worry for Black in this position - Qe2+ is already a threat. } { [%csl Gd6,Re8][%cal Rd1e2] } 10... Qf6 (10... Nf6? 11. Nb5 { [%cal Rb5c7] } 11... Qb6 12. f5 Ne5 13. Bf4 $16 { White's initiative is overwhelming. Black is struggling already. }) (10... a6? { This is understandable, but too slow. } { [%cal Ga6b5] } 11. Qe2+ Be7 12. f5 { White's attack continues. There is no rush in capturing the bishop on e7. } 12... Kf8 13. fxg6 Bxd6 14. gxf7 Nf6 15. Bg5 Qe7 16. O-O-O Qxe2 17. Bxe2 Be5 18. Na4 b5 (18... Kxf7 19. Nb6 Rb8 20. Nc4 d6 21. Nxd6+ Kg6 22. Rhf1 Kxg5 23. Nf7+ $18) 19. Bxf6 gxf6 20. Nb6 Rb8 21. Nxd7+ Bxd7 22. Rxd7 $18) 11. Qe2+ (11. Nb5 Nxf4 12. Bxf4 (12. Nc7+ Kd8 13. Qf3 Bxd6 14. Nxa8 Qe5+ 15. Qe3 Nf6 16. Qxe5 Bxe5 17. g3 Re8 18. Kd1 Ng6 $19 { [%csl Ra8] }) 12... Qxf4 13. Nc7+ Kd8 14. Nxa8 Bxd6 { Suddenly the White king is in a lot of trouble - the knight on a8 is stranded and Black can develop freely on the kingside. } { [%csl Re1] } 15. Qd2 Qxd2+ 16. Kxd2 Nf6 17. Bd3 b6 18. Rae1 Bb7 19. Nxb6 axb6 $19) (11. Nd5 Qxd6 12. Bc4 N8e7 13. Qe2 b5 14. Bb3 Bb7 { Black will be able to fight White's initative with active play like this - remember that the extra piece must be used if it is to count for anything. }) 11... Qe6 12. Nb5 Qxe2+ 13. Bxe2 Rb8 14. Be3 { [%cal Ge3a7] } 14... b6 15. h4 { White is attacking all over the board. } 15... h5 16. O-O-O a6 17. Nc7+ Kd8 18. Nxa6 Bxa6 19. Bxa6 Nh6 { [%cal Gh6f5] } 20. Rd5 { [%csl Rf5] } 20... Ng4 21. Bd2 Ra8 22. Bb5 Nf6 23. Rd4 Ne8 { [%cal Rf8d6] } 24. Bb4 Rxa2 25. Kb1 Ra8 26. g3 $13 { The computer evaluates this as slightly better for Black, but the position looks much easier to play for White due to the annoying d6-pawn. } { [%csl Rd6][%cal Yh8h6,Bg6h8,Bh8f7,Bf7f5] }) 7. dxc6 Nxe4!? 8. Qd4 Qe7 9. Be3 (9. Qxg7 Nxc3+ 10. Be3 Ne4+ 11. c3 Rf8 12. cxb4 Qxb4+ 13. Kd1 dxc6 $17 { [%csl Rd1] }) 9... Nxc3 10. a3 (10. bxc3 Bd6 11. cxd7+?! (11. cxb7 Bxb7 12. Rb1 Bc6 13. Qxg7 Be5 14. Qg5 Bxc3+ 15. Kd1 Qxg5 16. Bxg5 Rg8 17. Bf4 Rg4 $36 { Black still has the initiative. } { [%csl Ra2,Ga7][%cal Yg4a4,Ya4a2] }) 11... Bxd7 12. Bc4 (12. Bd3 Be5 13. Qc4 c6) 12... O-O 13. O-O c5 $36 { [%cal Gd7c6,Ye7e5] }) 10... Bd6 11. cxd7+ Bxd7 12. Qxc3 Be5 13. Qb3 O-O { ..followed by Bd7-Bc6 and Black is better developed. } { [%cal Gd7c6] }) 6. e5 Ng8 (6... d5 7. exf6 Qxf6 (7... gxf6 { [%csl Rf6,Rf7] }) 8. Nxd5 { Suddenly the tables have turned.. }) 7. Bc4 d5! (7... c6 8. Qe2 { Stopping the d5-break. } { [%cal Re5d6] } 8... Bb4 9. O-O N8e7 (9... d6 10. exd6+ Kf8 11. Bxf7 Bxc3 12. Bxg8 Kxg8 13. Qc4+ Kf8 14. Qxc3 Qxd6 15. f4 Bf5 $17 { [%csl Gf5] } 16. g4! { All bridges have already been burned, so why not continue? } 16... Bxg4 17. f5 Nh4 18. Bg5 Nf3+ 19. Rxf3 Bxf3 20. Qxf3 h6 $17 { A lot of difficult moves in this variation, but once again Black comes out on top - White is struggling here with a pawn for an exchange. } { [%cal Gf8g8,Gg8h7] }) 10. Bxf7+ Kxf7 11. Qc4+ d5 12. exd6+ Nd5 13. Nxd5 cxd5 14. Qxd5+ (14. Qxb4 Re8 $19 { [%csl Rd6][%cal Gf7g8,Ge8e6] }) 14... Be6?! (14... Kf8 15. Qf3+ Ke8 16. c3 Bxd6 17. Re1+ Be7 { This looks a bit dangerous, but remember that White has sacrificed two pieces now - Black will have enough resources here to stop the attack. Getting the rook into action with Rh8-Rf8 is a good start. } { [%cal Gh8f8] }) 15. Qxb7+ Qd7 16. Qf3+ Bf5 17. Qb3+ { [%cal Rb3b4] }) 8. Bxd5 (8. Nxd5?! { This is weaker. } 8... Be6 { [%cal Re6c4] }) 8... c6!? (8... N8e7 9. Bg5 c6 10. Bb3 h6 11. Be3 Nf5 { Once again our knight reaches the desired f5-square. } { [%csl Gf5] } 12. O-O Qh4 { [%cal Yc8e6] } 13. Ne2 Be6 { Black will castle queenside in the next move and will enjoy a large advantage. } { [%cal Ye8c8] }) 9. Bb3 (9. Be4 f5 10. Bf3 Nh4 { Killing the important light-squared bishop. } { [%csl Rf3][%cal Rh4f3] }) 9... Be6!? { Black establishes a blockade of the opponent's central pawns. } 10. O-O (10. Ne4 Bxb3 11. axb3 Qd5) 10... Qd7 11. Bxe6 (11. Ne4 O-O-O 12. Ng5 (12. Bg5 Be7 13. Bxe7 N8xe7 14. Nd6+ Kb8 15. c3 Nd5 (15... f6)) 12... h6? (12... Bxb3 13. axb3 h6 14. Ne4 a6 15. Be3 f5 $17) 13. Nxe6 fxe6 14. Qg4 { [%csl Rg6,Re6] }) 11... fxe6 12. Bg5 (12. Qd3 O-O-O 13. Bg5 Be7 14. Be3 Nh6 { [%cal Gh6f5] }) 12... Be7 13. Bxe7 N8xe7 14. Ne4 O-O 15. c3 Qd5 16. Re1 Nh4 17. f3 Neg6 $17 { ...and Black is better with an extra knight. } *