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Today’s game is an excellent demonstration of the power of opening gambits by my subscriber @eNoDev. They played with the White pieces and used the uncommon Rasa-Studier Gambit against the Caro-Kann Defense (1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. f3).

This is a rather interesting and direct gambit and Black’s next series of best/good moves play into White’s gambit line, which ends up transposing into the trap line from the von Hennig Gambit. Black’s best move in response to the provocative f3 is to trade pawns and after (4… exf3 5. Nxf3), White has a very nice lead in development for the cost of a pawn.

Black now plays (5… Bg4), attempting to pin the knight to the queen and unlike the von Hennig Gambit trap line, this is not only a natural move, but a good move. White now plays (6. Bc6) which sets up a potentially winning attack on Black’s weak f-pawn on f7. The interesting thing in this position is that Black has only a single good move in this position – to recognise the threat on f7 and play (6… e6). This might not be obvious unless you were already sensitised to this type of attack.

Black plays a very natural developing move with Nf6, but this is a significant mistake. The position has indeed now transposed exactly into the famous von Hennig Gambit “oh no my queen” trap. This would continue with (7. Ne5!? Bxd1?? 8. Bxf7#).

In this game, White plays a more principled approach and instead, plays (7. Bxf7+), a brilliant move that sacrifices the bishop, but punches a hole in Black’s f-file and draws the king into the open. this allows for a knight unpinning attack and absolute fork of the king and bishop, winning the bishop (7… Kxf7 8. Ne5+ Kg8 9. Nxg4).

After trades, on move 10, Black has no development and their king is dangerously exposed, while White has open lines of attack and immediately ready to castle. Black attempts to scramble to develop their knight but misses the [+M1] threat with their king exposed along the light square diagonal. Checkmate on move 11, GG!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/94881513957

[Event "Live Chess"]

[Site "Chess.com"]

[Date "2023.11.28"]

[Round "-"]

[White "eNoDev"]

[Black "jovoll"]

[Result "1-0"]

[Timezone "UTC"]

[ECO "B15"]

[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Caro-Kann-Defense-Rasa-Studier-Gambit"]

[UTCDate "2023.11.28"]

[UTCTime "03:34:31"]

[WhiteElo "1001"]

[BlackElo "1018"]

[TimeControl "180+2"]

[Termination "eNoDev won by checkmate"]

[StartTime "03:34:31"]

[EndDate "2023.11.28"]

[EndTime "03:35:29"]

[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/live/94881513957"]

[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/14375778.5b30a124.50x50o.f0813c333a0a.jpg"]

[WhiteCountry "2"]

[WhiteTitle ""]

[BlackUrl "https://www.chess.com/bundles/web/images/noavatar_l.84a92436.gif"]

[BlackCountry "2"]

[BlackTitle ""]



1. e4 {[%clk 0:03:02]} 1... c6 {[%clk 0:03:00.4]} 2. d4 {[%clk 0:03:01.9]} 2...

d5 {[%clk 0:03:01.5]} 3. Nc3 {[%clk 0:03:03.5]} 3... dxe4 {[%clk 0:03:01.8]} 4.

f3 $5 {[%clk 0:03:04.8][%c_effect f3;square;f3;type;Interesting;persistent;true]

Caro-Kann Defense: Rasa-Studier Gambit [-0.6]. A very interesting and direct

gambit.} 4... exf3 {[%clk 0:03:01.9]} 5. Nxf3 {[%clk 0:03:06.7] And White wins

an important lead in development} 5... Bg4 {[%clk 0:03:01.3]} 6. Bc4 {[%clk

0:03:08.4]} 6... Nf6 $2 {[%clk 0:02:59.3][%c_arrow

e7e6;keyPressed;none;from;e7;opacity;0.8;to;e6;persistent;false][%c_highlight

e6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e6;persistent;false][%c_effect

f6;square;f6;type;Mistake;persistent;true] An understandable mistake [-1.0 $37

+1.9]. Black's only good move that maintains it's advantage was e6.} 7. Bxf7+ $3

{[%clk 0:03:07.2][%c_effect f7;square;f7;type;Brilliant;persistent;true] Black's

lack of development allows the immediate tactical pattern beginning with the

brilliant bishop sacrifice with check} 7... Kxf7 {[%clk 0:02:59.3]} 8. Ne5+ $1

{[%clk 0:03:08.5][%c_arrow

e5g4;keyPressed;none;from;e5;opacity;0.8;to;g4;persistent;false,e5f7;keyPressed;none;from;e5;opacity;0.8;to;f7;persistent;false][%c_highlight

g4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g4;persistent;false,f7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f7;persistent;false][%c_effect

e5;square;e5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 8... Kg8 {[%clk 0:02:49.3]} 9.

Nxg4 {[%clk 0:03:10.4]} 9... Nxg4 {[%clk 0:02:50]} 10. Qxg4 {[%clk 0:03:10.9]}

10... Nd7 $4 {[%clk 0:02:38.5][%c_effect

d7;square;d7;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%c_arrow

d8d7;keyPressed;none;from;d8;opacity;0.8;to;d7;persistent;false][%c_highlight

d7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d7;persistent;false] Black rushes to

develop, but misses the critical weakness of the light square diagonal to their

king...} 11. Qe6# {[%clk 0:03:11.2][%c_effect

e1;square;e1;type;Winner,g8;square;g8;type;CheckmateBlack]} 1-0