Opening Traps
Openings
The Stafford Gambit: 20 Key Lines, Traps and Refutations
Imagine this: you’re five moves into a standard game of chess, and suddenly your opponent sacrifices a knight. Then a...
Openings
Double Muzio Gambit Tutorial: Advanced Moves, Lines & Tactics
If you thought giving up one piece early in the opening was gutsy, try the Double Muzio Gambit: White willingly...
Openings
Halloween Gambit Chess Trap: Best Moves, Common Tricks & How to Refute It
The Halloween Gambit is one of the most surprising—and controversial—opening ideas in all of chess. It begins from the quiet...
Openings
Deutz Gambit: Key Moves and Lines of This Aggressive Italian Game Opening
The Deutz Gambit—pronounced “Doy-ts”—is one of the boldest and most forcing ideas White can play in the Italian Game, specifically...
Openings
How Eric Rosen Used the Stafford Gambit to Beat a Grandmaster in 14 Moves
On December 30, 2024, in Round 12 of the FIDE World Blitz Chess Championship held online on Chess.com, International Master...
Openings
Stafford Gambit Explained: Key Ideas, Traps, and How to Play It Effectively
The Stafford Gambit has become one of the most talked-about opening weapons in modern online chess. Fueled by YouTube speedruns,...
Openings
Scholar’s Mate: The Best Opening for Beginners, Approved by Magnus Carlsen
In chess, most games last dozens of moves. But sometimes, if your opponent isn’t careful, you can win in just...
Openings
Muzio Gambit: The Most Dangerous Gambit in Chess (Full Guide)
Among the major opening lines in chess, few are as daring, or downright outrageous, as the Muzio Gambit and especially...
Openings
Who Still Uses the King’s Gambit?
The King’s Gambit: daring, romantic, and mostly… extinct? Not quite. While it’s no longer a staple in elite chess circles,...
Magnus Carlsen
How Magnus Carlsen Fell for the Englund Gambit
Magnus Carlsen once fell for a basic trap in the dubious Englund Gambit. He was 8½. Here’s how the world...