Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...f5

Duras gambit B00 King's pawn opening 1...f5? · Duras gambit 1...f5?, the unsound Duras gambit, offers a pawn to White in exchange for some development. This is a very disadvantageous move for Black: moving the f-pawn so early in the opening leaves Black's king exposed on a vulnerable diagonal. 2. exf5, accepting the gambit, picks up a pawn. Black has no straight-forward way to recover the material yet. The very first thing they must do is 2...Nf6, and they have no compensation for the pawn. Otherwise, Black has no protection from Qh5+!: e.g. 2...d5? (intending ...Bxf5) 3. Qh5+! g6 4. fxg6 Bg7 5. gxh7+ Kf8 6. hxg8=Q++++. 2...Kf7?? is a joke, intentionally awful continuation called the Fred defence. 3. Qh5+ g6 4. fxg6+ Kg7 5. gxh7 Rxh7 6. Qg5+ Kh8+++. 2. f4 transposes to the Wagner-Zwitersch gambit normally reached by 1.f4 f5 2. e4. 2. d4 transposes to the Staunton gambit normally reached by 1.d4 f5 2.e4. 2. Qh5+? leads to an amusing trap involving a queen sacrifice. 2...g6 3. Be2 gxh5?? 4. Bxh5#. Better for Black is 3...Nf6--, then White's queen is forced to retreat and Black can pick up the e-pawn. History Oldřich DurasBernstein v Duras, 1938. Chessgames.com (1882―1957) was a Czech chess master who became more renown as a composer of chess puzzles. References See also Duras Gambit