The King's Gambit - A Second Bag of Tricks

The Kings Gambit, Charousek - Burn (Cologne, 1898); The game is a Kieseritzky Gambit. White wins a nice game with the crushing move, 27.Re1

The Kings Gambit provides an object lesson in constructing Kingside attacks. Ten more exciting gambits from 1.e4 e5 2.f4 lines await here. The value of tempo vs material. The potential of sacrifice vs King safety.

New variations based on the familiar themes like Bc4, Nf3-e5(g5), short castling with the open f-file, pressure on f7. A number of motifs with sacrifices on f7 or maybe even h7 will become well worn tools in your kitbag.

Continue honing your attacking prowess. The middlegame Kingside attack is an important component of any player's game. These ideas are demonstrated in opening gambits such as the Kieseritzky Gambit, the Allgaier Gambit, the Quaade Gambit and more.

Take the Kieseritzky Gambit Through a Deadly Path

The Kings Gambit, Kieseritzky Gambit - 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5

After 4...g4 you have two main choices. You can go with the Allgaier which is 5.Ng5 or the Kieseritzky Gambit. You enter this line with 5.Ne5.

The centralized Knight puts pressure on f7 and also the g5-pawn. Black must act quickly before you overwhelm him. Your Bishop will go to c4 and turn up the pressure.

Black has counterplay too in this double-edged opening. His two advanced pawns on the Kingside, though vulnerable, are dangerous. Both players must tread carefully through a jungle of sharp variations.

Test Your Tactics in the Rice Gambit

The Kings Gambit, Rice Gambit - 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5 Nf6 6.Bc4 d5 7.exd5 Bd6 8.O-O

The Rice Gambit is named after it's chief proponent Isaac Leopold Rice. It's a high octane variation of the Kieseritzky Gambit. When the Bishop comes out to d6 you can leave the undefended Knight to his own devices and simply castle.

You don't want to delay development and you can win back the piece by means of 9.Re1 pinning the Bishop to the King. No matter how Black wriggles he won't be able to get his extra piece off the hook and you will recover the material in all lines.

An interesting struggle will follow as the more or less forced variation ahead will produce good pieces for White aimed at Black's Kingside. This will be balanced out by Black's dangerous pawns on f4 and g4. His pieces are also positioned to make life potentially difficult for White.

Rip Open the Kingside in the Allgaier Gambit

The Kings Gambit, Allgaier Gambit - 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ng5

The Allgaier Gambit shows some of the many interesting ideas in the King's Gambit. After 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ng5 you've got the position shown in the diagram.

You can expect Black to play 5...h6 trapping the Knight. So why play the Allgaier with 5.Ng5 in the first place? What, apart from the f7-pawn, do you get for the sacrificed Knight?

You strip the Black King of his castling rights. He is now stuck out on a broken and open Kingside. And you have the means to maintain your development lead. Your next move after 6.Nxf7 Kxf7 will be one of four main options. You can go with 7.Qxg4, 7.Bc4+, 7.Nc3 or 7.d4. The Chess Czar gives a nice demonstration.

Blackburne Gambit - Set the Mob on the Enemy King

The Kings Gambit, Blackburne Gambit - 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ng5 h6 6.Nxf7 Kxf7 7.Nc3

The Blackburne Gambit is a good variation of the Allgaier for White. You've given up your Knight. Black's Kingside is open. He has lost his castling rights. You've got to get to him before his Queenside pieces get into the game.

This could mean 7.Qxg4 straight away with the threat of Qxf4+. 7.Bc4+ also looks juicy. But why castle on the Kingside where your King could be moving into the eye of a storm? You have time to develop your Queenside and to give yourself a long term advantage in King safety.

7.Nc3 followed by the entry into the game of the dark square Bishop and Queen prepare for long castling. After that the exposed Black King will feel the full force of your entire army.

Smash and Grab in the Rosentreter Gambit

The Kings Gambit, Rosentreter Gambit - 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.d4 g4

The Rosentreter Gambit gives you a big center with open diagonals for your Bishops. You can certainly let your f3-Knight go in the position shown with 5.Bc4 or 5.Nc3. This variation is built for sacrifice.

Once again you are counting on your lead in development, big center and attacking initiative to compensate for your Knight. You will want to get to the Black King while he still sits in the center. As always this will call for energetic play.

In some cases you may want to give up a second piece to smash Black's center and swarm the King. This is a price worth paying. You don't want to allow Black to get his King safe and develop.

Skate Through Black's Attack in the Sorensen Gambit

The Kings Gambit, Sorensen Gambit - 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.d4 g4 5.Ne5

The Sorensen Gambit again tempts Black with 4...g4 5.Ne5 Qh4+. Again you can play this way safe in the knowledge that 5.Ne5 makes 7.Qg4 possible after 6.g3 fxg3.

Sure Black can pick up a Rook and promote with the discovered check. This is nowhere near as potent a threat as usual as you will be taking the old Queen off the board.

The reason this line does not do Black any good can be seen by your deadly mounting threats and the new Black Queen's isolated position on h1.

Slip Black a Poisoned Rook in the Quaade Gambit

The Kings Gambit, Quaade Gambit - 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Nc3

The Quaade Gambit is much wilder than it seems. 4.Nc3 looks humble enough but it is a useful developing move. It also gives Black the chance to play the tempting 4...g4.

If you get this move do not give the position the Muzio treatment. It's best for the Knight to preserve himself via an excursion to e5. Yes it allows 5...Qh4+ with a pawn on f4, usually big trouble for White.

The Quaade Gambit with it's Knight on e5 contains some powerful resources for White and 6.g3, normally suicide in these situations, is actually on here. Indeed it is the way to play.

6...fxg3 is answered by 7.Qg4. The e5-Knight has made this possible. 7...g2+ 8.Qxh4 gxh1Q is too inviting to turn down. Even though you're a Rook down you now have a huge lead in development and a strong attack. Black's only piece in play, the newly minted h1-Queen is his only piece in play. 9.Qh5 threatens mate in two and the Black Queen is too poorly placed to defend.

Cunningham Defense - A Breath of Fresh Air for Your King

The Kings Gambit, Cunningham Gambit - 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 Be7

The Cunningham Defense begins with the interesting 3...Be7. This move puts heavy pressure on h4. As White you may feel the urge to castle Kingside at all costs. 3...Be7 will therefore furrow the brow of many an amateur. Yes ...Bh4+ Nxh4 ...Qxh4+ is intended.

You must resist the temptation to make a positional or material sacrifice to castle. 4.Bc4 Bh4+ 5.Nxh4 Qxh4+ Kf1 is perfectly fine for White. It's true your King is still in the center and your Rook is hemmed in. Black's attack is harmless however and you have a minor piece in play.

The Bertin Gambit or Three Pawns Gambit is a crazy line of the Cunningham Defense. It runs 4.Bc4 Bh4+ 5.g3 fxg3 6.O-O gxh2+ 7.Kh1. The resulting position is almost identical to the Four Pawns Gambit in the Bishop's Opening and play is very similar.

Bertin Gambit - Give 3 Pawns for Development Advantage

The Kings Gambit, Bertin Gambit - 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 Be7 4.Bc4 Bh4+ 5.g3 fxg3 6.O-O gxh2+ 7.Kh1

The Bertin Gambit or Three Pawns Gambit is a counter-intuitive way to deal with Black's annoying pressure on h4 after 3...Be7. Black usually plays this move to gain control of h4 and stop your natural Kingside development.

He is threatening to do this by 4.Bc4 Bh4+ trading this Bishop for your defensive Knight on f3. After 5.Nxh4 Qxh4 you must play 6.Kf1 or 6.Ke2 and your King is stuck in the center. While this is playable it is not what every player dreams of when he chooses the King's Gambit.

You can answer 4...Bh4+ with 5.g3 fxg3 6.O-O gxh2+ 7.Kh1. You castle anyway and get your Rook centralized for 3 pawns. Black's 7th rank pawn is actually providing cover for your otherwise open King. You've developed your whole Kingside and Black has only one piece in play.

Nuke White's Center in the Gianutio Countergambit

The Kings Gambit, Gianutio Countergambit - 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 f5

The Gianutio Countergambit is available to you as Black after White plays 3.Nf3 in the Accepted Line of the King's Gambit. This variation comes about after 3...f5, an undermining move against White's center.

The most popular move for White is to accept the gambit with 4.exf5 which scores well. The other main alternative is 4.e5 which also has a good record.

You will aim to get ...d5 in as quickly as possible while bringing your Knight to f6 and Bishop to d6. This will facilitate the short castle. Your d6-Bishop, d5-pawn and f4-pawn will give you control of useful squares in White's camp.

Moving On

The Kings Gambit, Kieseritzky Countergambit - 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 b5; Not to be confused with the Kieseritzky Gambit, this line is a variation of the Bryan Countergambit

That completes the second part of the Kings Gambit trilogy. We have seen clever innovations on the recurring themes of this opening family. White again and again gains the big center and a ferocious Kingside attack.

Interestingly, Black is never defenseless. He can even afford to allow his Kingside shell to get ruptured in many lines. The enduring question of White's lead in development and big center versus Black's material advantage and counterplay shows itself in all variations.

So far we have concentrated on lines in the 3.Nf3 complex. You have another very plausible 3rd move however. Some say as strong or even stronger than 3.Nf3. That move is 3.Bc4 and is known as the Bishop's Gambit. We will also consider Black's options to decline the King's Gambit in the final set of King's Gambit adventures.

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King's Gambit Part B