Latvian Gambit

Latvian Gambit

The Latvian Gambit is a very aggressive opening defense for black against one of the more common openings for white. This opening is not seen much at master level chess as most masters refuse to give up material early on in a game...

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Nc6 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Nxc6 dxc6 6.Qe2 Bg7
7.exf5 Ne7 8.fxg6 Bf5 9.gxh7 Qd7 10.Qh5+ Bg6 11.Qh3 Nf5 12.Qd3
Qf7 13.Qc4 Qf6 14.Nc3 O-O-O 15.d3 Rde8+ 16.Be3 Rxe3+ 17.fxe3
Nxe3 18.Qa4 Rf8 19.Be2 Qxc3+ 20.bxc3 Bxc3# 0-1

Matthias Duppel vs Philippe Rouzaud
open 2001
result 0-1


1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. d4 fxe4 4. Nxe5 Nf6 5. Bg5 d6 6. Nc4 Be7
7. Ne3 c6 8. Bc4 Qa5+ 0-1

NN vs Paul Keres
1940
Chess opening-Latvian Gambit: Fraser Defense
[Result 0-1]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Nc6 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Nxc6 dxc6 6.Qe2 Bg7
7.exf5 Ne7 8.fxg6 Bf5 9.gxh7 Qd7 10.Qh5+ Bg6 11.Qh3 Nf5 12.Qd3
Qf7 13.Qc4 Qf6 14.Nc3 O-O-O 15.d3 Rde8+ 16.Be3 Rxe3+ 17.fxe3
Nxe3 18.Qa4 Rf8 19.Be2 Qxc3+ 20.bxc3 Bxc3# 0-1

Robert Schuermans vs Adrien Capitaine
15th Open 2000
Chess opening-Latvian Gambit: Mayet Attack. Polerio-Svedenborg Variation
[Result 0-1]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Bc4 fxe4 4. Nxe5 d5 5. Qh5+ g6 6. Nxg6
hxg6 7. Qxh8 Kf7 8. Qd4 Nf6 9. Nc3 Be6 10. f3 Nc6 11. Qf2 dxc4
12. Nxe4 Bf5 13. b3 Bg7 14. Rb1 Nb4 15. bxc4 Nxc2+ 16. Kd1 Qd3
17. Rb3 Nxe4 18. fxe4 Qxe4 19. d3 Rd8 20. g4 Rxd3+ 21. Rxd3
Qxd3+ 22. Bd2 Bd4 23. Qg3 Ne3+ 24. Ke1 Nc2+ 25. Kd1 Ne3+
26. Ke1 Qb1+ 27. Ke2 Bd3+ 28. Kf2 Nf5+ 29. Kg2 Qxh1+ 0-1

The Latvian Gambit is a very aggressive opening defense for black against one of the more common openings for white. This opening is not seen much at master level chess as most masters refuse to give up material early on in a game. Below master level play there are strong advocates of the Latvian Gambit and I personally enjoy the possiblities that arise from this opening.

Watch the video below to get a detailed explanation of the Latvian Gambit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2flPdsk9 ... r_embedded

Vassaguron vs Paul Keres
Mexico City 1972
Chess opening-Latvian Gambit: Mason Countergambit (C40)
[Result 0-1]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.d4 fxe4 4.Nxe5 Nf6 5.Bc4 d5 6.Be2 Bd6 7.Bg5
c5 8.Bb5+ Kf8 9.c3 a6 10.Ba4 Qe7 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.Ng4 cxd4
13.cxd4 f5 14.Ne3 f4 15.Qh5 fxe3 16.fxe3 Kg7 17.O-O Be6 18.Nc3
Nc6 19.Nxd5 Qe8 20.Qh4 Bxd5 21.Qf6+ Kg8 22.Rf5 Bxh2+ 23.Kxh2
Qg6 24.Bxc6 Qxf6 25.Bxd5+ Kg7 26.Rxf6 Kxf6 27.Bxe4 Rhe8
28.Rf1+ Kg7 29.Rf4 Re7 30.Kg3 Rae8 31.Kf3 h5 32.g3 a5 33.Rh4
a4 34.b4 a3 35.b5 Re6 36.Rf4 b6 37.Rh4 R8e7 38.Rf4 Kh6 39.Rh4
Rf6+ 40.Rf4 Kg7 41.Rxf6 Kxf6 42.Bd5 Rc7 43.Kf4 Rc3 44.Bg8 Rd3
45.Bc4 Rd2 46.d5 Rc2 47.Bb3 Rb2 48.Bc4 Rb4 0-1

Vassaguron vs Paul Keres
Mexico City 1972
Chess opening-Latvian Gambit: Mason Countergambit (C40)
[Result 0-1]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Nxe5 Qf6 4. d4 d6 5. Nc4 fxe4 6. Nc3 Qg6
7. Ne3 Nf6 8. Bc4 c6 9. d5 Be7 10. a4 Nbd7 11. a5 Ne5 12. Be2
O-O 13. O-O Bd7 14. Kh1 Kh8 15. Nc4 Nfg4 16. Qe1 Rf7 17. h3
Nf6 18. Nxe5 dxe5 19. Bc4 Rff8 20. Be3 Nh5 21. Kh2 Bd6 22. Bb3
Nf4 23. Bxf4 exf4 24. Qxe4 f3+ 25. g3 Bf5 26. Qh4 Rae8
27. Rae1 Be5 28. Qb4 Qh6 29. h4 g5 30. Rh1 gxh4 31. Kg1 h3
32. dxc6 bxc6 33. Qc5 Qg7 34. Kh2 Qf6 35. Qxa7 Bd4 36. Qc7
Bxf2 37. Rxe8 Rxe8 38. Rf1 Bd4 39. Rxf3 Bxc3 40. bxc3 Re2+
41. Kh1 Be4 42. Qc8+ Kg7 43. Qg4+ Qg6 44. Qd7+ Kh6 0-1