Stafford Gambit
Наталья Рябова

© Наталья Рябова, 2025

ISBN 978-5-0060-0498-6

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Training games

This book consists of two parts. The first contains short training games that illustrate the main idea of the gambit. This part can be used for analysis with a further game of “guess the move.” The second part consists of practical games, the analysis of which will not only help in mastering the main ideas of the gambit, but will also bring great aesthetic pleasure.

The Stafford Gambit is an objectively dubious, but highly venomous opening. A variation of Petrov's Defense, Black sacrifices a pawn on the third move for a quick attack. But i s it a sound gambit? Should White accept the gambit to gain an advantage? Or should they decline it?

The Stafford Gambit certainly isn't an objectively good opening.

However, it’s a tricky opening, and can be a weapon for Black in blitz and bullet games if White is not familiar with the gambit. Although it can give you some fun wins, i t’s not an opening that you should consider playing in classical games though, especially not in longer time controls when your opponents have more time to think things through.

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nf6

3. Nxe5 Nc6

4. Nxc6 dxc6

From this position, there are so many traps unsuspecting players can stumble into from the white side.

Black sacrifices a pawn and gives up all center pawns. In return, black hopes to get initiative and an attack on the kingside.

Black will often play Bc5, followed up by Ng4 to put pressure on the f2 pawn. Later, the move Qh4 with even more pressure on the f2 and h2 pawns is a common idea.

White will try to consolidate. Often played ideas for white are c3, followed by d4, to cut the bishop on c5 off from the diagonal.

White will often delay casting in order to defend against blacks immediate attacking ideas first.

You can also practice this opening using my training studio at https://lichess.org/study/RErp31fY

Game №1

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nf6

3. Nxe5 Nc6

4. Nxc6 dxc6

5. Nc3 Bc5

6. Bc4 Ng4

7. O-O Qh4

8. h3 Nxf2

9. Qf3 Nxh3++

10. Kh2 Nf2+

11. Kg1 Qh1#

.

Game №1

Game №2

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nf6

3. Nxe5 Nc6

4. Nxc6 dxc6

5. Nc3 Bc5

6. Bc4 Ng4

7. O-O Qh4

8. h3 Nxf2

9. Bxf2+ Kf8

10. Qh5 Nxe4+

11. Kh2 Qg3+

12. Kh1 Bd6

13. d3 Qh2#

Game №2

Game №3

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nf6

3. Nxe5 Nc6

4. Nxc6 dxc6

5. Nc3 Bc5

6. Вс4 Ng4

7. 0—0 Qh4

8. h3 Nf2

9. Rf2 Qxf2+

10. Kh1 0—0

11. a3 Bd6

12. d4 Bh3

13. gh Qh2#

Game №3

Game №4

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nf6

3. Nxe5 Nc6

4. Nxc6 dxc6

5. Nc3 Bc5

6. Bc4 Ng4

7. h3 Qh4

8. Qf3 Ne5

9. Qd1 Qf2#

Game №4

Game №5

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nf6

3. Nxe5 Nc6

4. Nxc6 dxc6

5. Nc3 Bc5

6. Bc4 Ng4

7. Rf1 Qf6

8. h3 Bxf2+

9. Ke2 0—0

10. hg Bg4+

11. Kd3 Qd4#

Game №5

Game №6

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nf6

3. Nxe5 Nc6

4. Nxc6 dxc6

5. Nc3 Bc5

6. Bc4 Ng4

7. d4 Bd4

8. 0—0 Qh4

9. Bf4 Bf2+

10.Rf2 Qf2+

11.Kh1 Qf4

12. Qc1Qh2#

Game №6