Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e6/2. d4/2...d5/3. Nc3/3...Bb4/4. Bd2/4...dxe4/5. Qg4/5...Qxd4

Kunin double gambit C15 Fingerslip variation 5...Qxd4 · Kunin double gambit Black doesn't give up the g7-pawn and instead chases after more material. White has two moves properly make use of Black's lack of development. 6. O-O-O sets up a discovered attack on Black's queen, who has no good squares to go to. Getting off of the a1-h8 diagonal runs into 7. Qxg7, trapping Black's rook. ...Qe5 and ...Qf6 run into Bf4 and Bg5 respectively, both of which lead to Black losing their queen. Black's only moves are therefore those that displace White's queen: 6...h5 chases the queen to e2 (both Qg3 and Qg5 can be met by attack the queen with the dark-squared bishop. 6...f5 does the same, but White has the option of going Qg3, responding to Bd6 with Bg5 (after 6...h5 this would have been met with ...h4) 6...Nf6 transposes back into the 5...Nf6 lines after 7. Qxg7 Rg8 8. Qh6 Alternatively, White can opt for 6. Nf3. These lines tend to result in a queenless middlegame. 6...Nh6 (6...Nf6?? 7. Qxg7++) attacks the queen. White can choose to win back their pawn with 7. Qxe6+ Bxe6 8. Nxd4. White can also try to keep the queens on the board with 7. Qf4, but e5 forces it anyway. 6...h5 allows the same variation as 6...Nh6 with 7. Qxe6+. 7. Qf4 manages to keep the queens on the board. 7...e5?! doesn't work any more due to 8. Nxe5, which now threatens Qxf7. 6...f5 is similar in spirit to 6...h5. White does get to play 7. Qh5+ g6 8. Nxd4 gxh6. The f-pawn doesn't actually defend the e-pawn due to 9. Nxe4 being a discovered attack on Black's bishop. History Most opening databases refer to this move as the "Kunin double gambit."French Defense: Winawer, Fingerslip, Kunin Double Gambit www.chess.com https://www.chess.com/openings/French-Defense-Winawer-Fingerslip-Kunin-Double-GambitFrench Defense: Winawer Variation, Fingerslip Variation, Kunin Double Gambit lichess.org https://lichess.org/opening/French_Defense_Winawer_Variation_Fingerslip_Variation_Kunin_Double_Gambit The earliest instance of someone with the name "Kunin" playing this variation is Vladimir Kunin - Oschengoit, 1958.Vladimir Kunin - Oschengoit, 1958 www.chessgames.com https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1250817&comp=1 This game has been a popular miniature, being featured in chess miniature books and online discussions.Bill Wall 500 French Miniatures 91 https://archive.org/details/500FrenchMiniaturesByBillWallXxxxx/500%20French%20Miniatures%20by%20Bill%20Wall%20xxxxx/page/n91/mode/2up 2026-04-28 1984The Not-So-Unnamed Gambit https://gambitchessplayer.com/testimonial/the-not-so-unnamed-gambit/ gambitchessplayer.com The opening was known prior to this game. It had already had appearances in high-profile games like at the 1950 candidates in a game between Isaac Boleslavsky and David Bronstein.Boleslavsky - Bronstein, 1950 www.chessgames.com https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1033798 This continuation was also played in the first recorded game in the Fingerslip variation Marshall - Chigorin, 1901.Marshall - Chigorin, 1901 https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1094494 www.chessgames.com Theory table 0 6. O-O-O h5 7. Qe2 Bd7 6. ... f5 7. Qg3 Bd6 8. Bf4 Bxf4+ 9. Qxf4 Qc5 6. ... Nf6 7. Qxg7 Rg8 8. Qh6 6. Nf3 Nh6 7. Qxe6+ Bxe6 8. Nxd4 Bd7 6. ... ... 7. Qf4 e5 8. Nxd4 exf4 6. ... h5 7. Qxe6+ Bxe6 8. Nxd4 Bd7 6. ... f5 7. Qh5+ g6 8. Nxd4 gxh5 References See also French Defence White's_fourth_move_alternatives