Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...f5/3. Bc4

Mayet attack C40 Latvian gambit 3. Bc4 · Mayet attack White declines Black's gambit and instead develops a bishop, preparing Nxe5 with a threat on f7. 3...fxe4 is Black's best and main move, otherwise why would Black have bothered with attacking White's e4 pawn? However Black has a few alternatives to consider: 3...Nf6?, the Morgado Defence, is the most common amateur move. It is usually played by people who are used to the Latvian gambit accepted. 3...Nc6 transposes into the Rousseau gambit of the Italian game. 3...b5!? is the rare and dubious Strautins gambit, which triest to distract the White bishop from the a2-f7 diagonal. History Berliner chess master Carl Mayet reached this position in 1837 (via the move order 2. Bc4 and 3. Nf3).Mayet v Hanstein, 1837. Chessgames.com Gioachino Greco described a game in this line from 1620.NN vs Greco, Chessgames.com Sample game 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Bc4 fxe4 4.Nxe5 Qg5 right Position after 4...Qg5 1 NN vs Gioachino Greco Rome, 1620 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Bc4 Today known as the Mayet attack, White declines the gambit and develops a piece instead. 3...fxe4 4. Nxe5 White threatens 5. Nf6, forking Black's queen and knight. 4...Qg5?! Black attacks the knight on e5 and the g2 pawn. This sets a trap in that 5. Nf7? is still available, still forking the queen and rook. 5...Qxg2 and: White may calculate that they are up material after 6. Nxh8?? Qxh1+ 7. Ke2 Qxh2 8. Bxg8??, but their king is too vulnerable and Black has a devastating attack. 8...d5 and if White tries to extract their knight, 9. Nf6 Bg4+ leads to mate. 6. Rf1 to save the knight and 6...d5 7. Bxd5? Bg4! (attacks queen) 8. f3only Be7 and 9. fxg4?? or 9. Nxh8?? are mate in two (9...Bh4+ 10. Rf2 Qxf2#), 4...d5, the Polerio-Svedenborg variation, is considered more accurate. 5. d4 Qxg2!? This is the sharp poisoned pawn variation. 6. Qh5+ An important intermezzo. 6. Rf1 affords Black time to play 6...Nf6 and defend their kingside. 6...g6only 7. Bf7+ Kd8 Safer than 7...Ke7, where 8. Qh4+! can't be met with 8...Be7. 8. Bxg6 Qxh1+ 9. Ke2 Qxc1 10. Nf7+ Ke8 11. Qe5+? An error. Better was 11. Nxh8+ discovered check immediately. 11...hxg6 12. Qxg6+ Kd8 13. Nf7+ Ke7 14. Nc3 threatening Nd5+ +. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Bc4 fxe4 4.Nxe5 Qg5 5.d4 Qxg2 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Bf7+ Kd8 8.Bxg6 Qxh1+ 9.Ke2 Qxc1 10.Nf7+ Ke8 11.Qe5+ Ne7 Position after 11. Ne7. right 1 11...Ne7! Rather than block the check with 11...Be7?. 12. Nxh8+ hxg6 White's attack has disappeared. 13. Nc3 Qxc2+ 14. Ke1 Qxb2 15. Nxe4 Threatening Nf6+ Kd8 Nf7#. 15...Qxa1+ 16. Ke2 Qxa2+ 0-1 White resigns. Theory table References See also External links Games in Mayet attack, Chessgames.com