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

Latvian Gambit
a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h
Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN) rnbqkbnr/pppp2pp/8/4pp2/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R w
Moves: 1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5
ECO code: C40
Parent: King's Knight Opening

Latvian Gambit

2...f5?!

The Latvian Gambit is sometimes known as the Greco Counter Gambit.

The Latvian Gambit only works at club level, where unsuspecting White players find themselves falling to traps. However, if White knows all the traps and pitfalls, Black will be not be able to compensate for being one pawn down in material. As such, the Latvian Gambit is usually considered unsound.

Theory table

For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5?!

	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
1	d4 fxe4	Nxe5 Nf6	Be2 d6	Ng4 Be7											=
2	Bc4 fxe4	Nxe5 Qg5?!	d4! Qxg2	Qh5+ g6	Bf7+ Kd8	Bxg6 Qxh1	Ke2 Qxc1	Nf7+ Ke8	Nxh8+ hxg6	Qxg6+ Kd8	Nf7+ Ke7	Nc3 Qxc2+	Ke1 d6	Nd5+	±
	... ...	... d5!	Qh5+ g6	Nxg6 hxg6	Qxg6+ Ke7	d4 e3	Bxe3 Qd6	Bg5+ Kd7	Qf7+ Ne7						=
3	Nc3 fxe4	Nxe5 Qf6	d4 exd3	Nxd3 c6											+/=
4	exf5 e4	Ne5 Nf6	Be2 d6	Bh5+ Ke7											+/=
Main Line 5	Nxe5 Qf6	d4 d6	Nc4 fxe4	Nc3 Qg6											+/=

References

• Nunn's Chess Openings. 1999. John Nunn (Editor), Graham Burgess, John Emms, Joe Gallagher. ISBN 1-8574-4221-0.

• Kasparov, Garry, & Keene, Raymond 1989 Batsford chess openings 2. ISBN 0-8050-3409-9.