Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...Nf6/3. Nxe5/3...Nc6/4. Nxc6/4...dxc6/5. d3/5...Bc5/6. Be2/6...h5

Stafford gambit with 5. d3 C42 Stafford gambit → 5. d3 → 6. Be2 6...h5 Black defends g4 with the h-pawn. The idea is not so much to support a piece there but to open the h-file. 7. O-O?? may be tempting, if White thinks that their king will be safer away from the centre. However, it only serves to send the king into the danger. 7...Ng4 8. Bxg4 and rather than retake with the bishop, Black plays 8...hxg4 to open the h-file and bring their rook into the attack (though 8...Bxg4?! can also be tricky). If 8. h3?! Qd6! threatens ...Qh2#. If White tries to defend checkmate by trading off the knight, 9. Bxg4? hxg4 opens up the h-file 10. e5 Qg6 --- Black has crushing pressure on White's kingside. 7. c3 is the critical move and main refutation of the gambit. This supports White playing ...d4, cutting Black's bishop off from attacking f2. The main continuation is 7...Ng4 d4 where the sharpest move is 8. Qh4! where 8...dxc5? is a mistake. Otherwise, 7...Bb6?! tests White's patience: they must first defend their e-pawn from ...Nxe4 before they may push d4. 7. h3, to prevent the knight from coming to g4, is playable but sharp. 7...Qd4 (threatens Qxf2#) 8. O-O (8. Rf1 also playable, perhaps safer) Ng4 9. hxg4 hxg4 and 10. Bxg4?? is a mistake. 10...Qe5 and there are too many threats on the castled king, e.g. 11. Bh3?? Bxh3 12. gxh3 Rxh3 13. Re1 Qh2+ 14. Kf1 Qxf2#. White can stabilise after 10. g3 instead. Theory table Stafford gambit accepted with 5. d3 7. c3 Ng4!? 8. d4 Bb6 9. h3 Qh3? 10. g3 Qf6 11. hxg4 +++ 7. ... ... 8. ... Qh4 9. g3 Qf6 10. f3 ++ 7. ... ... 8. ... ... 9. dxc5? Qxf2+ 10. Kd2 Bf5! 11. exf5?? O-O-O+ --- 7. h3 Qd4 8. O-O Ng4 9. hxg4 hxg4 10. g3 ++ 7. ... ... 8. ... ... 9. ... ... 10. Bxg4?? Qe5 11. Bh3?? Bxh3 12. gxh3 Rxh3 13. Re1 Qh2+ 14. Kf1 Qxf2# 0-1 7. O-O? Ng4 8. Bxg4 hxg4 9. Bf4□ + 7. ... ... 8. ... ... 9. g3?? Qf6 10. Be3 Qxb2 11. Nd2 Qe5 12. Bxc5 Qxc5 -- 7. ... ... 8. h3? Qd6 9. Bxg4? hxg4 10. e5 Qg6 --- References See also