Advance

Week: 23rd - 29th Oct

Topic: Halloween

The modern name "Halloween Gambit" was given by the German player Steffen Jakob, who
explained that "Many players are shocked, the way they would be frightened by
a Halloween mask, when they are mentally prepared for a boring Four Knight's, and then they
are faced with the move."

The move:
4.
The Halloween Gambit:

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nxe5 (dig)

White’s plan:
 Seize the center with pawns
 Drive the black Knights back

4. ... Nxe5 5. d4

The Knight has two major choices:

Ng6 or Nc6

At this moment, Black has to decide what types of game he wishes to play...

 Holding Material/Position
 Initiative/Passive
 Pieces Active/Inactive
 Easy/Difficult Position
 Ng6
5. ... Ng6 6. e5 Ng8 7. Bc4 **

If Black try to hold the material

... d6 8. Qf3 Qd7 9. O-O dxe5 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Re1
Bd6 12. Bf4 f6 13. Rad1 Ne7 14. Bxe5 fxe5 15. Bb5
(dig) , has to suffer from the serious attack.

If Black want to activate his pieces

... d5 8. Bxd5 c6 9. Bb3 Bb4 10. O-O Bxc3 11. bxc3

N8e7(dig), Black’s King can be settled.
 Nc6

... Nc6 6. d5 **

If Black try to hold the material

6. ... Ne5 7. f4 Ng6 8. e5 Ng8 9. d6 cxd6 10. exd6
(dig)

the pawn narrow down the development of Black

Qf6 11. Nb5 Rb8 12. Be3 b6 13. Qe2 Kd8 14.
O-O-O Qe6 15. f5 Qxf5 16. Qc4 Qe5 17. Qc7+
Ke8 18. Bd4 Qf4+ 19. Kb1 Ra8 20. Re1+ Be7 21.
g3 Qd2 22. Bg2 Qxg2 23. dxe7 N8xe7 24. Nd6+ Kf8
25. Qd8#
Even though White win, there are many challenges in
the progress.

Black could also play an easy position, but need to

give back a piece to White
6 ... Bb4 7. dxc6 Nxe4 8. Qd4 (dig)

Under the serious attack, how should Black react?

Qe7 9. Be3 Nxc3 10. bxc3

Bd6_______________________________